A man was recently arrested in Lawson avenue in Waverley for his involvement in a global fraud scam.

A total of nine other people were also arrested in South Africa, mostly Nigerian citizens, for the same fraud scam.

According to the Hawks spokesman, Paul Ramaloko, this group of people, mostly from Sunnyside, were arrested on Tuesday for their involvement in this global scam. They allegedly used stolen information to get money and goods before they shipped it to South Africa and Nigeria.

“This is the ramification of the collaboration between South African Police Service and U.S Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). If criminials are able to interact with their fellows across borders we can do better,” the National Head of Hawks, Lieutentant General Anwa Dramat said in a media statement on Wednesday.

A total of 24 people were arrested in South Africa, Canada, California, Georgia, Wisconsin, Indiana , New York and South Carolina for this global scam.

Investigators have so far identified hundereds of victims to this scam in the United States, which has resulted in the loss of millions of U.S. dollars.

According to the Hawks this syndicate purchased shipping labels from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), Ferderal Express, United Parcel and DHL with fraudulent credit card information or stolen identities.

Once the merchandise reached South Africa, the suspects advertised it for sale on the Internet.

The joint operation to arrest this syndicate came after eigth-count federal indictment was filled in the United States charging 18 people with wire fraud, bank fraud, access device, mail fraud, aggrevated identity theft, theft of government funds and money laundering.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern of Mississippi was granted arrest warrants for 12 people who live in South Africa and search warrants for associated properties in Pretoria.

The 10 people arrested in Pretoria, nine Nigerian men, and one South African woman, are linked to this global scam. The suspects enriched themselves with illegally obtained funds.

According to information received investigators confiscated computers, laptops, cell phones, notebooks and documents which will be handed over to the HSI for further investigations.

The suspects were expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on charges of fraud and theft before they will be extradited to the United States to face prosecution in the Southern District of Mississippi.

The Hawks were on Wednesday afternoon unable to say if the arrested people have appeared and when they will be extradited.

For a video of the arrest, click here.