Online dating scam suspect who allegedly raked in millions appears in court | Cape Times – Independent Online
Cape Town – Accused of defrauding his victims in an online dating scam, a 48-year-old suspect appeared yesterday in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court for alleged fraud and money laundering.
Christiano Ogbeifun is alleged to have scammed people out of millions of rand and was arrested on Friday following a joint operation by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Hawks spokesperson Philani Nkwalase said the suspect allegedly lured mostly US-based victims from a dating site and, after building a certain level of trust, the victims were tricked into paying the suspect for apparent business-related transactions, with the promise that the money would be paid back.
The Hawks and the FBI linked the suspect to scams involving more than R4.1 million, Nkwalase said.
In a separate matter, Wilson Harry Davidson, 53, appeared in the same court for alleged Road Accident Fund fraud valued at R800 000.
Davidson was arrested on July 18 following the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit’s probe into an alleged fraudulent RAF claim in 2016.
Davidson allegedly had claimed that he had been a passenger in a vehicle which overturned in Klipheuwel Road, Malmesbury, when in fact he was the driver.
“Hawks investigations have revealed that Davidson reportedly lied in an attempt to avoid facing recklessness, negligence and an additional charge of culpable homicide, as a passenger in his vehicle died.”
Meanwhile, a 22-year-old man was arrested for possession of abalone to the value of about R135 000.
“The Hawks and SAPS Flying Squad, along with officials from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and City traffic officials, reacted on information about a vehicle transporting abalone on July 25.
“The vehicle was spotted driving on the N1 towards Cape Town. Upon stopping it and conducting a search, fresh and wet abalone were seized and the suspect arrested,” said Nkwalase.
* This article was originally published here
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