A Mpumalanga woman’s dream of seeing “black money” converted into real money was dashed when her partner allegedly left with her R1.6 million pension payment.
When fraudsters obtain real money from their victims, they convince them that piles of banknote-sized paper are real money that has been coloured to escape detection by customs officials or actual currency that has been soiled in a crime.
The victim is then convinced to pay for a chemical to clean the “money” in exchange for a cut of the rewards.
The woman’s boyfriend allegedly convinced her that fake money which had been photocopied in black and white could be turned into real money when placed in the same container as authentic bank notes, explained Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala.
Police are now looking for a man named Lucky Innocent Talemwa, whom they believe will be able to help them with their investigation to find the scammer.
Mohlala said the woman told police that she had been in a relationship with a man who said he was from Uganda.
She said the man showed her a lot of black notes and told her that he needed a lot of authentic South African bank notes to turn the black money into legitimate currency.
“The victim resigned from work then withdrew cash on different dates and gave it to the man so that he could convert his black notes into real bank notes,” said Mohlala.
After around R1.6 million was given to the man, he “vanished into thin air”.
Police are requesting the public to assist in locating Talemwa, “as investigators are convinced that he could be of great assistance in their probe”, said Mohlala.
“Police urge Mr Talemwa to come into contact with the police in Middelburg immediately.”
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Anyone who knows his whereabouts is urged to call Crime Stop at 08600 10111.
Mpumalanga police commissioner Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela warned the public to be vigilant of scams, saying criminals are targeting vulnerable marks such as single women, who are lured into starting a relationship with cons.
“These perpetrators often lure them into taking loans from financial institutions and they then ignite some kind of excitement that is characterised by empty promises. In the end, these female victims, out of excitement, are convinced to retire from work.
“The public should not forget the agonising outcomes that they might experience when they decide to take risks with their cash. This can end in sob stories for the victims, so people should always be vigilant,” she said.
