The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) has warned the public about people purporting to be traditional healers to steal pension monies.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) has warned the public about people purporting to be traditional healers to steal pension monies.
A statement released by the Hawks on Tuesday warned the public about the scam that has allegedly defrauded a number of women of their government pensions.
The statement read: "The Hawks are currently investigating a number of cases where these former civil servants have been robbed by people purporting to be traditional healers or sangomas who are able to cleanse their monies.
"These victims are commonly female single parents who are 45 years and older. The alleged traditional healer convinces these women to resign from work in order for the ancestors of the victim to multiply their money."
The potential victim is at first, in most cases, approached by a man who is interested in developing a romantic relationship with her.
After establishing this relationship, the man would either tell the victim that he was a traditional healer who was able to solve her financial problems or that he wanted to introduce her to a traditional healer who can solve her monetary woes.
When the victim agreed to that, she would then undergo a number of traditional cleansing ceremonies and consultations with her ancestors.
According to the statement, the consultations with the ancestors were either conducted in graveyards or a dark room with a curtain that is supposed to separate her and her ancestors.
"After undergoing these ceremonies and consultations, the alleged ancestors would speak to the victims either behind the curtain or the graveyard and tell them to resign from work.
"The ancestors then promise to multiply the pension money after resignation. Once their pension money is paid out the traditional healer them instructs them to give it to him in a form of hard cash or to transfer it into their bank accounts.
"During the resignation process the traditional healer tells his victim not to tell anyone about the resignation or else the money woud not multiply.
"The traditional healer, thereafter, delivers a trunk or bags which he claims are carrying this pension money. The victim would then have to wait for a few days before opening the bag and not tell anyone about the matter.
" When the victim opens the bags or trunks she is greeted with blank pieces of paper," read the statement.
Besides these seven cases the Hawks are still receiving correspondence from family members of women whom they believe are in the process of becoming victims of this scam.
The women will allegedly unexpectedly have resigned from work and be unwilling to tell their families why they have done so because their lover or traditional healer has instructed them not to do so.
The Hawks warned the public that this is a scam that leaves victims and their children destitute. In addition, the Hawks have so far arrested two suspects in two of these cases.
One suspect was a boyfriend of the complainant while the other was the traditional healer. The Hawks have also established that this is a syndicate, therefore anyone with information that could lead to more arrests should phone 043 709 0540/047 502 5900/041 408 2611.
