These arrests come five years after the initial fraud case was reported at the Norwood police station in 2019. The victim, who later realized she had been deceived by her “online boyfriend,” suffered losses exceeding R2 million. According to Hawks spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha, the victim made multiple deposits into various accounts, including a Capitec account belonging to Fortune, which received R70,000 in three transactions.
Mqikela was also implicated after investigators discovered that her FNB account received R580,000 from the same victim across seven transactions.
Both suspects appeared at the Palm Ridge Court on October 7, 2024, for bail applications. Fortune was granted bail of R2,000, while Mqikela received R3,000. The case has been postponed to January 24, 2025, for trial.
Brigadier Phumeza Klaas, the Acting Head of the Hawks in Gauteng, emphasized the importance of vigilance against romance scams, urging South African citizens to exercise caution when engaging in online relationships and report any suspicious activities to the authorities.
