The 28-year-old man has been arrested by the South African Police Service in Limpopo for charges of fraud and corruption after he scammed several victims thousands of rands while posing as a Police Captain during 2019.
The imposter allegedly pretended to be a police Captain from the Provincial Human Resource Management. He will then call unsuspecting people who want to be enlisted in the SAPS to deposit a certain amount of money into various accounts for medical reports. He would then instruct them to take the receipt to the Recruitment office as proof of payment.
Upon arrival, the victims were shocked to learn that they were scammed. Cases of fraud were immediately opened and the Intelligence driven joint operation was activated.
The suspect was arrested at Lethuli Park in Seshego outside the City of Polokwane on Friday the 12 February 2021, by the Saps Provincial Investigating Unit and the Provincial Crime Intelligence Unit. The suspect may be linked to more other similar cases as the Police investigations are still continuing.
The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Limpopo Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba has welcomed the arrest and he warned the public against imposters.
“Police will not request or demand cash for any reason during the recruitment process or investigations. The Police recruitment forms are not for sale and our posts are advertised on different media platforms with clear specifications. Members of the community must report these type of tendencies to the Police immediately”, Concluded General Ledwaba.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Monday, the 15 February 2021.
The Police are calling upon victims of such scams to contact Lieutenant Colonel Richard Boshomane on 079 894 5501 or the Crime stop number 0860010111 or the nearest Police Station or MySAPS App.
