In IOL's ongoing scammed series, several women across South Africa have spoken out after losing millions of rand to men who they were in sexual relationships with.
Image: File Picture
Several women across South Africa have in recent years fallen victim to elaborate romantic scams where they were hoodwinked into love relationships by strangers, and end up investing in fictitious schemes where they lost everything in the end.
The cunning scammers vanished after stealing the unsuspecting women’s money, leaving the victims, who are often single mothers and breadwinners in their families, out of employment, in huge financial debts, psychologically traumatised and unwilling to continue with life.
IOL is running the scammed series, where dozens of South African women have frantically been knocking on several doors, after being knocked in romantic relationships by men who are not easily traceable.
The majority of the scammers, according to the victims, are Ugandan nationals living in different parts of South Africa.
In a desperate bid to speak out, the scammed women from different parts of South Africa have bandied together in their bid to raise awareness on the rampant romantic scams.
IOL has been informed that after the scammed series broke, more and more victims have emerged, and joined support groups where the women hold hands and are jointly demanding justice.
“We are now focusing on getting justice and recovering both emotionally and financially through our non-governmental organisation (NGO) named Recover and Rebuild Victims Empowerment,” one of the scammed women, Nothando who lost R2.8 million recently told IOL.
IOL is running the scammed series, where several women have spoken out after being defrauded by their romantic partners in a common scam.
Image: File
There are reports of other women quietly taking their own lives after it became apparent that what they had believed to be a promising love relationship was a scam from the onset, and the man they thought was their loving boyfriend was a thief and a fraudster.
IOL’s extensive investigation in provinces including Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga – what is common in the romance scams, is a phase where the love-struck, unsuspecting woman is taken into a certain dark room, specially referred to adoringly by the boyfriend and his “family” as a dedicated prayer room.
In this room, the scamming process is sealed with Hollywood-winning performances of fake miracles, voices being heard from phoney ancestors, leaving the women paralysed in fear, shock, awe, disbelief and confusion.
Seasoned forensic investigator Calvin Rafadi told IOL that not enough awareness has been raised on the romance scams which have become prevalent in all areas of South Africa – including rural areas.
Unlike popular belief, the targets of scammers are not only rich women, but also middle-income earning women. With the facilitation of the scammers, the women are induced to take out unsustainable bank loans and hand over the cash. The instruction to bring money happens in the dark prayer rooms where items like Bibles are a common feature.
Seasoned forensic and crime expert Calvin Rafadi.
Image: Supplied
The voice which speaks in the prayer room is of one of the criminals who will be hiding in a compartment specially prepared in the dark room.
“These prayer rooms are always set up at the boyfriend’s residence. They do not often come to the woman’s place. The women are invited to the boyfriend’s place. This is part of their scam. Immediately after they lure their victims to come to their house, she is invited to go into this prayer room.
“In that room, there is no ancestor but it is a person hiding in one area and listening to the prayers. This act is done to fool the woman into believing that the boyfriend’s ancestors were talking. These ancestors often speak in English which is very strange. I have asked many people how the ancestors would be communicating in English,” Rafadi said.
He said the boyfriends usually claim that the house is their property, but it will be empty as soon as the scam project is done and the woman is left with huge financial debts.
IOL interviewed several women who were scammed in romantic relationships, lost millions of rand, and in many circumstances were without work after resigning on the prospects of a better life with the new boyfriend.
The victimised women shared their own experiences, giving readers an exclusive peep into the dark world of the prayer room where the “ancestors” converse with the women, and promise them millions of rands in cash.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL