POLOKWANE – The police in Waterval, Vhembe District are investigating a case of fraud following an incident in which an elderly woman was defrauded of over R60,000 after an unknown woman allegedly took her bank card, withdrew cash, and swiped it at several retail stores at Hubyeni Shopping Centre in Elim.
According to reports, on 29 June 2024 at about 10:30, the victim was attempting to withdraw money at an ATM when she requested assistance from an unknown African female. The suspect allegedly helped her complete the transaction and even placed the card and cash back into her handbag.
The unsuspecting victim, who is unable to read, continued with her shopping. Upon arriving home, family members discovered that a large amount of money had been withdrawn from her savings account. Further checks revealed that her original bankcard had been swapped with another belonging to an unknown individual.
Subsequent investigations uncovered that the suspect had used the victim’s card to make multiple purchases at various retail stores in the same complex and in Makhado.
A case of fraud was registered at Waterval SAPS. Although it was initially closed as undetected because there were no possible leads, detectives continued to follow up on the matter. Recently, new evidence emerged, leading to the case being reopened. Preliminary findings suggest that the suspect may be targeting elderly and vulnerable victims.
The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has strongly warned communities, especially the elderly to exercise extreme caution when using ATMs and handling cash, particularly as the festive season approaches.
“Fraudsters and thieves often take advantage of people’s generosity and distractions. We urge the public never to accept help from strangers when withdrawing money at ATMs, and to immediately report any suspicious behaviour to the police,” said Lieutenant General Hadebe.
Police are appealing to the woman captured on CCTV footage to present herself at Waterval SAPS or the nearest police station to assist with the investigation.
Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the suspect is urged to contact Sergeant Nancy Rikhotso on 072 752 7794, the Crime Stop number 08600 10111, or use the MySAPS App.
Police investigations are continuing.
