Publications
- The Hawks in North West are looking for a man who allegedly scammed a woman he had met online out of R2 million.
- The two met on dating site Badoo.
- He allegedly convinced the woman to resign and pump her pension benefits into a joint venture.
South Africa has a "Tinder Swindler" of its own, if allegations reported to North West police are anything to go by.
The Hawks in the province are on the hunt for a man who goes by the name David Nkunda in connection with allegations that he scammed a woman he had met on dating site Badoo out of more than R2 million in pension funds.
Whether or not that's his real name is still under investigation.
Hawks spokesperson, Captain Tlangelani Rikhotso, said the 54-year-old woman and Nkunda had met online and started dating shortly after.
Police refused to provide dates due to the sensitive nature of the investigation.
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The woman used to visit him in Mahikeng, where he lived.
At some point, Nkunda suggested that they enter into a joint venture involving petrol stations, Rikhotso said. Further details of the joint venture were not provided.
"There was an agreement between them that he would resign from his alleged job, and she would resign from hers. They would then take both their pension money and get into business. So, she went and resigned and withdrew [her] money," the spokesperson added.
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She handed more than R2 million over to Nkunda over the period May to August 2022.
It was only when she went to Nkunda's house in Mahikeng and saw that he no longer lived there, that she realised she had been scammed.
Rikhotso said:
"They were in a relationship. To her it was a genuine relationship, and she did not know that he would rob her of her money."
The spokesperson added that police could not rule out the possibility that more people were involved.
"We can't certainly rule out the possibility that he has done this before," Rikhotso added.
Anyone who has further information can contact the investigating officer, Lieutenant Colonel Morné Grobler on 082 334 8667.
