The Mthatha Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigation unit has arrested 32-year-olds Sibusiso Mabaso and Lethulwa Wandile Mnguni on charges of fraud and money laundering. The arrests were made in collaboration with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
According to Hawks spokesperson WO Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, the victim received a call on March 11 from someone impersonating a Standard Bank employee, who claimed fraudulent activities had been detected on the victim’s account and offered assistance to stop them.
The victim was instructed to transfer funds from a family trust account to a savings account and was provided with a one-time password (OTP) to complete the transaction. Following instructions, the victim turned off his phone for two hours. When he later accessed his banking app, he found he no longer had access.
The bank later contacted the victim about suspicious transactions, but denied any involvement in the initial call.
A thorough investigation revealed the victim suffered a loss exceeding R1 million, with funds transferred to a Hollywoodbets account.
Mabaso and Mnguni were arrested in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday and appeared in Durban Central magistrate’s court on Thursday. They were remanded and are scheduled to appear before the Mthatha specialised commercial crimes court on Monday.
