A Benoni teacher is warning other women not to fall victim to romance scams after she narrowly escaped being scammed out of millions.

Benoni City Times reports that the woman, who asked to remain anonymous due to shame and fear of judgment, shared her harrowing experience of meeting a man she believed to be a wealthy lecturer, only to later discover his sinister intentions.

She says she met the man on October 7 last year, when she was returning from a store at the Rynfield Terrace.

As she was loading her shopping bags into her car, a Jeep parked next to her, and a man introduced himself and complimented her dress.

They exchanged numbers, and the man, who claimed to be from Burundi, soon began calling her.

He told her he was a lecturer at Brooklyn College and would be heading to Cape Town for a project.

“We met a week later, on a Saturday afternoon, during which he claimed to be from a royal family.

“The following weekend, he invited me to his home in Rynfield and introduced the concept of prayer, suggesting that I needed to pray more regularly.

“He told me he had spoken to his aunt about me, and she would soon reach out. A couple of days later, the ‘aunt’ contacted me via WhatsApp.”

She says things took a turn when he led her to a dark ‘prayer room’ covered in white curtains, where he burnt incense and chanted in an unfamiliar language while instructing her to kneel and pray for protection, guidance and blessings.

During another visit, the woman says the atmosphere in the room became increasingly unsettling when a voice spoke from the walls, calling them ‘granddaughter’ and ‘grandson.’

When she asked for an explanation, the man reassured her that it was simply part of an ancestral communication process.

Despite feeling uncomfortable, the woman says she continued seeing the man until she was involved in a minor car accident, and the so-called ‘aunt’ insisted she visit the prayer room, claiming it was bad luck.

She says the next ritual required her to bring a white dress and a pint of milk.

“The man poured the milk over my dress and wiped me with it. He then wrapped coins with the dress, placed it in a medium-sized metal trunk and told me to lock it and keep the keys.”

She says that to her shock, when she next entered the prayer room, she saw a large pile of cash inside the trunk. The voice on the wall reminded her that she had prayed for blessings.

“They suggested that I take out a loan to ‘clean’ the money before depositing it in my account.

“I complied and pretended to apply for the loan at various banks. When I told him that the banks had declined my application due to my debt review status, his demeanour suddenly changed.

“He became agitated. His once-friendly tone turned harsh and he began ignoring my calls.”

Sensing something was wrong, the woman says she decided to visit his house, only to find an Indian man who claimed to be the actual owner.

“The homeowner revealed that the so-called ‘prince’ was merely a tenant who had recently disappeared.

“He said the lease had been signed by someone living in Brakpan and was not aware that the man was living in his house.”

Reflecting on the experience, the teacher expressed her relief, saying: “I’m traumatised by this whole experience, but I’m glad I didn’t go and take out a loan.

“My stubbornness helped me. I’m sharing this story to help other women because others might not see the red flags, resulting in them losing their hard-earned money.”

She urges other women to remain vigilant and not fall prey to such schemes, which exploit emotions and trust.

Police warn public

According to Benoni SAPS spokesperson Captain Nomsa Sekele, police opened a similar theft case three years ago involving a woman who worked for the government and was scammed out of approximately R1.5m.

Sekele says the woman was deceived by her foreign boyfriend, who stole her pension money and possessed two passports, one from Ghana and another from Congo. The man was never found.

She urges victims of such scams to report incidents immediately to prevent further exploitation.

Nedbank Private Wealth has provided these tips to help victims stay safe from romance scams:

• Pause and think before sending money. A genuine partner won’t pressure you into making urgent financial decisions.
• Protect your personal details. Keep sensitive information, such as your location or financial details, private.
• Speak with someone you trust. Talk to a friend, family member or trusted person before taking any action. They may spot something you’ve overlooked.
• Listen to warnings from others. The hardest part of a romance scam is ‘breaking the spell’ the fraudster has over their victim. If family members, your bank or law enforcement authorities warn you against a relationship, take their concerns seriously.

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