Elijah Mahlangu and Jabu Mokoena have been charged with fraud following the theft of R741,000 from a Mpumalanga man, Sizolethu Richard Sindane. The two appeared before the Emakhazeni Magistrate’s Court after their arrest by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks).
The scam dates back to October 2021, when Sindane, a regular customer of Centex Fluid Products Africa (PTY) LTD, was defrauded by criminals posing as the company. According to the Hawks’ Mpumalanga spokesperson, Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi, the suspects gained access to Sindane’s email account and altered communication from the company to trick him into transferring money.
The scammers, pretending to be a company representative, informed Sindane that his products were ready for delivery, but payment was required. After Sindane confirmed his payment, the scammers falsely claimed that they hadn’t received it and provided new bank account details. Sindane deposited the R741,000 into the fraudsters’ account, believing it was the company’s legitimate one.
The investigation revealed that Centex Fluid Products Africa never received the payment. The money was traced to five suspects, including Mahlangu and Mokoena, who were arrested. The other three suspects, who received the stolen money into their personal accounts, remain at large.
Both Mahlangu and Mokoena were granted bail of R1,000 and are set to appear in court again on October 23 for further proceedings. The investigation is ongoing as the Hawks continue to track down the remaining suspects involved in the scam.
