Three men will appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for allegedly defrauding a woman of R3 million through an online romance scam.
The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit arrested the suspects.
The woman, whose identity authorities are protecting, connected with a man on Facebook in 2024.
As their virtual relationship developed, she believed that a white foreign national named “Mark Hermanus” was the man she was speaking to.
Dating scam costs woman R3 million
After they moved their chats to WhatsApp, the scammer asked her for money, claiming he needed help to pay for his son’s medical expenses.
She eventually transferred R3 million into two bank accounts.
Investigators link three suspects
Warrant Officer Thatohatsi Mavimbela, Hawks spokesperson, confirmed that authorities arrested Gabriel Okori, a Nigerian national, as the first suspect in Cape Town in October 2024.
The court granted him bail of R5,000, and he has been attending hearings.
Police arrested a second man, Justice Motsamai Khanyapa, in Orange Farm, Johannesburg.
The court released him on R1 000 bail in March 2025.
The most recent arrest occurred on June 23, when authorities apprehended Thabo Derrick Mnguni.
He plans to apply for bail during Tuesday’s court proceedings.
Do you think social media platforms are doing enough to protect users from online scams?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
