Cheque fraudsters on prowl

2003-07-02 23:07

Marisa du Plessis

Welkom - A well-known businessman here may have fallen prey to a syndicate using sophisticated cheque fraud to swindle companies throughout the country.

Karel Preller said this week two false cheques for about R60 000 from one of his companies were cashed within half an hour in Klerksdorp and Sasolburg.

In both cases the bank clerks phoned the company in Welkom to ensure the cheques were valid, but the syndicate had the calls rerouted to their own cell number.

Preller's financial director noticed on Tuesday two unknown cheques had been cashed and Preller hired a private detective to investigate.

The detective found that one of the incoming lines to Preller's company had been rerouted to a cellphone number.

Preller said it was apparently as easy as picking up the phone and telling Telkom to reroute one of your numbers to a cellphone.

"Anyone could have done it anonymously over the phone. Cheque fraud is so sophisticated these days that a replica of a cheque in a book we haven't even used yet was made for the unlawful transactions."

Signatures can also be cloned without experts noticing.

Preller said he was sure a syndicate was involved. "If we didn't consult our financial statements daily we wouldn't have picked it up. Who knows how much money they could have stolen."

He immediately informed Telkom in writing that under no circumstances should any of his lines be rerouted.

"I'd like to warn other businesses to look out for this. I understand similar the same thing has happened in Bethlehem."

Northern Free State police communications chief Rosa Benade said police were investigating the case. It was too soon to say if similar cases had been reported elsewhere.

- Volksblad