Chad Thomas, Chief Executive Officer for IRS Forensic Investigations, an independent financial crimes investigation company, said in a statement they were mandated in June 2020 by several complainants throughout South Africa to investigate alleged multi-million rand advance-fee fraud.

He said the IRS investigation identified a primary suspect in this alleged fraud as being a man living in Mossel Bay under an assumed name, and they went to the town to find him.

“It turns out that the suspect, Walterman Beling, was wanted in another case in Krugersdorp dating back to 2006. He had used several aliases, including Gert Moolman and Gert de Kock, in the past 14 years he has been on the wanted list. He was living in plain sight in Mossel Bay where he was involved in running several businesses,” said Thomas.

He also confirmed that Beling had been taken into custody for the outstanding warrant on the Krugersdorp case, and that he would appear in the Krugersdorp Magistrates’ Court once he had been brought to Krugersdorp.

Details about his alleged crimes will only be made public once Beling has appeared in court or a ruling has been made.

The new IRS investigation into the alleged advance-fee fraud was ongoing and a separate case has been registered in this regard. The new case that we are investigating against Beling is that of an alleged advance-fee scam he allegedly ran with the assistance of several other people we have identified throughout South Africa.

“The findings of our investigation have been shared with state law-enforcement agencies and we anticipate further arrests in this regard,” said Thomas.