Publications
- A man has been found guilty of 280 counts of fraud, linked to a card cloning syndicate.
- His accomplice was found to have committed 95 counts of fraud.
- The two accused went on a crime spree in the Western Cape in 2018.
A man has pleaded guilty to more than 280 counts of fraud after he used cloned credit cards as payments at various shops around the Western Cape.
This comes after the Hawks' Serious Commercial Crime team in Cape Town took over cases related to a possible credit card cloning syndicate operating in the Western Cape. Two men were arrested for a crime spree that took place in 2018.
Siyasanga Miya, 39, was sentenced to 13 years on 280 counts of fraud. Six years of his sentence was suspended for five years on the condition that he is not convicted of fraud and theft during that period, said Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani.
Hani said:
Co-accused Simphiwe Bulana faced 95 counts of fraud, and was sentenced to five years, wholly suspended for five years, and 24 months correctional supervision. Furthermore, he was sentenced to five years, suspended for five years, on 18 counts of contravening the Electronic Communications Act.
Prior to the arrest of Miya, he was awaiting trial on another matter with Bulana.
"The court has taken into consideration that Miya has been in custody since his arrest in 2020, meaning he is to effectively serve the remaining five years' imprisonment. Additionally, both accused were declared unfit to possess a firearm," said Hani.
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