Three women in court over R14 million romance scam

Three women have been jailed over a R14-million romance scam after being accused of exploiting an elderly woman through a fake dating profile. Asanda Dwesini, 39; Nomphelo Fetman, 32; and Shan Gabrelle Lewis, 47, briefly appeared in the Muizenberg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday after they were arrested. The Bellville Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team, together with the National Intervention Unit (NIU), arrested the three women on Thursday morning.

From 2017 to 2018, Dwesini, Fetman and Lewis allegedly exploited an elderly woman, who is in her 70s. South African Police Service (Saps) spokesperson Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani said the women’s case allegedly involved creating a fake profile on a dating site to manipulate victims into giving them money. Hani said one of the victims reported that her alleged “lover” lured her by using flirtatious language and made her believe that they were in a genuine relationship.

“Once trust was established, ‘he’ would ask for money, inventing reasons such as failed trips or urgent fines. The victim transferred money into various bank accounts shared by the alleged lover,” she added. The suspects continued the scheme until the elderly woman became suspicious.

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“The fraudsters gained the victim’s trust and built a relationship with her. He made everything about the romance feel normal, but his aim was to extort her,” Hani said. The Hawks’ Western Cape provincial head, Major General Mathipa Makgato, warned the public to exercise caution before engaging in suspicious transactions. Makgato said the public should refrain from transferring money if they are unsure.

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