A pair of card-cloning scammers who have been operating at various malls in the city were sentenced in the Belville Specialised Commercial Court last week.
Also read: Noordhoek couple survives attack in Philippi after Marketplace scam
According to Hawks spokesperson Siyabulela Vukubi, the work of members of the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation paid off when 45-year-old Silindilizwe Ntini and his 35-year-old co-accused, Lwazi Madondo, were sentenced for fraud, money laundering, and contravention of the Electronic Communication and Transactions Act 25 of 2002.
The two were sentenced on Friday, 30 June, after their conviction in December of last year.
‘The pair were involved in bank card cloning scams with their co-accused, Arthur Qedinda Dube, who is currently serving an eight-year sentence for the same charges from 2019,’ said the Hawks’ spokesperson.
‘All the accused were linked to various fraudulent transactions around Cape Town malls between 2017 and 2018.
‘The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team worked around the clock in proving that all the three accused were actually working together in these scams until December 2022 when the two were also found guilty.’
Need a vehicle that fits your needs and your budget? Find car listings here.
Ntini was found guilty on five counts of fraud, three counts of money laundering, and 15 contraventions of the Electronic Communication and Transaction Act and sentenced to five years imprisonment on all charges.
Madondo was sentenced to eight years after being found guilty on seven counts of fraud, three counts of money laundering, and 27 contraventions of the Electronic Communication and Transaction Act.
Hawks head in the Western Cape, Mathipa Makgato, lauded the members for the achievement, saying that ‘people suffer a lot from these kinds of scams.’
Cape {town} Etc discount: Get Madesu’s popular carnivore platter to share for two for just R269 (valued at R590). Get it here.
Also read:
Picture: Pixabay / Pexels