Police have arrested five suspects, including three foreign nationals and two local women, for fraud and contravention of the Cyber Crime Act at a beachfront hotel (known to the Berea Mail) on Wednesday evening.

SAPS KZN spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said, “During an intelligence-driven operation by officers from Crime Intelligence, Commercial Financial and Cyber Crime, Durban Central police and a Banking team, the suspects, who had booked at the hotel, were found to be allegedly scamming people under the pretense of a well-known international online courier service. Victims were defrauded of their accounts, and several purchases were made without their consent.”

The chairperson of North Beach CPF, Mahomed Essa, welcomed the swift and co-ordinated action taken by SAPS and all supporting law enforcement units.

Also read: Avoid being a victim of phishing

“This operation sends a clear and uncompromising message, North Beach and the greater Durban area are not safe havens for criminals, whether local or international. We will continue to support a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of crime, including cybercrime, which is increasingly affecting our communities.

“While investigations will determine the full extent of this case it must be said that in many instances of organised criminal activity there is often some level of internal collusion. For this reason, the North Beach CPF urges hotels and corporate establishments to take extra precautions, particularly when it comes to staff vetting processes and the verification of guest bookings. Strengthening internal controls is critical in preventing such operations from taking root,” Essa said.

Also read: Keep yourself and kids safe from cyber criminals

“I urge members of the public to remain vigilant. Do not share personal or banking information with unknown individuals and report any suspicious activity immediately. As the North Beach CPF, we remain committed to working hand-in-hand with law enforcement to close every gap criminals try to exploit,” Essa concluded.

Police reported that several laptops, SIM cards, hard drives, USB drives, cellphones, registers, tablets, and documents were seized during the operation. Suspects are expected to appear in court next week.

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