Scam suspect arrested in Mtubatuba with large number of counterfeit R200 notes
The man is suspected to be working with a syndicate
A MONTHLY grocery trip to Mtubatuba on Wednesday turned into a traumatic ordeal for a woman who was scammed out of
R5 000 after a conman convinced her to exchange notes with him.
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The unsuspecting Nondumiso Mkhwanazi had just withdrawn the money when she was approached by a man who had been earlier hanging around the ATM.
According to Mkhwanazi, the man asked her if they could exchange notes because he had R200 ones and needed hundreds.
“He asked to exchange R5 000. I don’t know how he knew I had withdrawn that much money, but I agreed and then went to do some of my grocery shopping,” said Mkhwanazi.
It was at the till that the cashier flagged the R200 notes as counterfeit.
“I tried to explain to her and the store’s security guards where I had got the money, but they didn’t believe me,” she said.
Eventually, the police were called in to hear her seemingly outrageous explanation.
The centre’s security guards were called in by the police, and they confirmed they had apprehended a suspect who was allegedly attempting to scam another woman at the same ATM.
Mkhwanazi said that, although the suspect was arrested, she was unable to recover her money, which meant no groceries for her children and family.
“Right now, I have nothing,” she said.
Police spokesperson Captain Justice Hlabisa said a 33-year-old man from KwaMashu near Durban was arrested.
“We suspect he works with a group, but investigations are ongoing to get a clearer picture,” said Hlabisa.
The suspect was found in possession of an undisclosed number of counterfeit banknotes and is expected to appear in court soon.
Hlabisa said the suspect was seen on surveillance footage in the vicinity of the ATM where Mkhwanazi was scammed.
“We urge members of the public to always be wary of strangers lurking around an ATM and asking for their assistance. Crime is on the rise.
“We also encourage more shops to install surveillance cameras because they help a lot with police investigations,” said Hlabisa.
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