A 54-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly scamming Tongaat senior citizens out of thousands of rand in a bogus holiday booking scheme.

The man was arrested last Friday and appeared at the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Monday. He was remanded in custody.

The arrest follows an incident involving members of the Belvedere Senior Citizens Club, who were left stranded in Margate during a planned holiday.

Club member Deon Chetty said money for the trip to Margate Sands was collected and paid into the travel agent’s account in August 2024. The agent later confirmed that the holiday would take place from August 4 to 7 the following year.

A bus was hired, and the group travelled to the South Coast expecting to check into their accommodation on arrival. However, when they reached the hotel, the trip co-ordinators were informed that no booking had been made and no payment had been received for the group.

The senior citizens remained seated in the bus for nearly four hours while attempts were made to contact the agent, but there was no response.

Faced with the possibility of having no accommodation, members collected additional funds among themselves to secure their stay. The hotel manager allowed them to check in once payment was arranged.

The club’s mother body ASCOT later paid R24 000 to cover the accommodation costs. An additional R10 000 had already been paid for transport.

A case of fraud was opened at Tongaat Saps on August 19, 2025, by the trip co-ordinator.

Tongaat police spokesperson Captain Jasanathan Naidoo confirmed that investigations revealed the suspect is also wanted in connection with fraud cases in other areas, including Umkomaas and Malvern.

“His modus operandi was to pretend to book holidays for senior citizens’ clubs and then disappear with their money,” said Naidoo.

Chetty said the group hopes to recover its losses. Members also thanked Naidoo, and the provincial task team that made the arrest.

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