A 49-year-old foreign national suspected of romance scamming and theft was arrested on charges of fraud.
The suspect was recently caught by detectives attached to the Provincial Commercial Crimes Unit.
According to a media statement released last Wednesday (8 November), the members successfully followed-up on information received of a romance scam, where the suspect allegedly targets women in their 60s on a social-media platform. “According to reports the suspect would present himself as a pilot and promise love and visits to the victims,” reads the statement. “It is alleged he would request a fee for the release of the goods he purchased for them. The possibility of more arrests is not excluded as the investigation is still ongoing.”
The suspect is expected to make his court appearance in Strand Magistrates’ Court once he has been charged.
Western Cape police would like to warn the public of the trend where vulnerable victims are targeted on platforms where single people are seeking companionship and then fall prey to online scammers.
