Detectives attached to Provincial Commercial Crimes Unit arrested a 49-year-old foreign national on charges of fraud relating to a romance scam and theft.
The members received information of a romance scam whereby the accused is targeting woman in their sixties a social media platform. According to reports the accused would present himself as a pilot and promise love and visits to the victims. It is alleged that 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 the Strand Magistrate’s 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 on-line scammers.
