Major-General Ebrahim Kadwa has cautioned the public seeking romance online to always be vigilant of criminals hiding behind the name of love.
“Perpetrators out there may lure the unsuspecting and vulnerable romance seekers online for exploitation purposes as well,” said Kadwa.
This is after a woman calling herself a “prominent businessman” and duping other women into giving her money was nabbed by the police.
Omotese Ebor, 40, is said to have borrowed about R1.9-million from a potential partner after she claimed that her bank accounts had been hacked.
Ebor, also known as Tessy, but who calls herself “Mr Allen Grey” on online dating sites, was arrested during a church service in Sandton. Her arrest followed an investigation by the Hawks.
Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu said in a statement: “It is alleged that between December 2016 and January 2018, the complainant met a ‘potential partner’ on social media who introduced himself as ‘Mr Allen Grey’, a supposed prominent businessman in the Western Cape.
“A few days later after the duo began dating, Ebor started borrowing the money. The money was said to have been transferred to different bank accounts which belonged to Ebor’s business account.
“The complainant reported the matter to the Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigation unit in Johannesburg,” he added, saying a warrant of arrest against all positively linked perpetrators on this matter had been issued.
Ebor appeared at the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Tuesday to answer to charges of fraud and money-laundering. She was remanded in custody while the police are still investigating.
Earlier this year, said Mulamu, the police successfully traced the first accused, Fortune Nomfusi, 31, in Makhaza, Khayelitsha in the Western Cape. Nomfusi was arrested on the same charges but later released on R3 000 bail.
The matter has been postponed to Friday.
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