A woman who defrauded victims of hundreds of thousands of rands while masquerading as an attorney has been sentenced.

Shaine Lucy Pillay (52), who has been in custody since August, last week pleaded guilty in the Richards Bay Magistrate’s Court to 15 counts of fraud and money laundering charges.

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With her sentences running concurrently, she faces six years in prison.

Regional Magistrate WJJ Schutte said dishonesty appeared to be a core characteristic of Pillay’s make-up, noting the offences were meticulously planned and repeatedly executed.

The crimes committed

The court heard how Pillay exploited innocent employees in a scheme targeting vulnerable people.

She conducted business under the name Izinzuzo Legal and Labour Services in Durban, falsely representing herself as an attorney.

Between 14 and 25 April 2025, Pillay told two people in Mfekayi, Mtubatuba that she could assist them in receiving money from the Guardian’s Fund – a statutory trust established to safeguard money belonging to minors and those unable to manage their own financial affairs.

She admitted that she intentionally and unlawfully caused prejudice amounting to R171 250 to the two victims.

According to the evidence, Pillay instructed an employee to contact the complainants and arrange a meeting at her office regarding payments they were allegedly owed from the Guardian’s Fund.

She requested that the complainants pay additional fees into various accounts, allegedly to prevent a paper trail linking the funds to her.

In a separate matter, between 17 July and 8 December in Richards Bay, she used the same modus operandi to target another two people, who lost R249 000.

Pillay also has previous convictions for fraud dating back to 2010, with the latest in 2025 and this year.

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