A 42-year-old Parklands man accused of conning a Canadian woman out of R24 million appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court last Friday to face charges of fraud, say police.
The Nigerian national was arrested at his Charing Crescent home on Tuesday March 5, according to provincial police spokesman Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi.
He said the woman had reported being a victim of a romance scam dating back to 2022.
It is alleged that the suspect, using the alias Raymond Butler, befriended her and they became romantically involved through a dating website.
“The digital relationship expanded to the extent that the suspect convinced the complainant to invest R24 million in a project abroad,” said Warrant Officer Swartbooi.
Police investigators had been working on the case since 2022 before making a “breakthrough” last week, he said.
He encouraged the public to remain vigilant and listed precautions to avoid falling prey to scammers:
• They look and sound very caring and responsible.
• They always come up with business proposals.
• They do not want their pictures to be taken.
• They do not want to meet with you in a public place.
• They always hide their identification documents.
• They do not introduce you to their families.
• They want to own everything in a relationship.
• They do not take you to their real house.
• They always come up with contradictory stories.
