Elderly Woman defrauded 60k in Elim

An elderly woman was defrauded of over R60,000 after an unknown woman allegedly took her bank card, withdrew cash, and swiped it at several retail stores at Hubyeni Shopping Centre in Elim, Limpopo.

The victim was reportedly attempting to withdraw money at an ATM when she requested assistance from an unknown African female.

The suspect allegedly helped her complete the transaction and even placed the card and cash back into her handbag.

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The unsuspecting victim, who is unable to read, continued with her shopping. Upon arriving home, family members discovered that a large amount of money had been withdrawn from her savings account.

Further checks revealed that her original bank card had been swapped with another belonging to an unknown individual.

Preliminary findings suggest that the suspect may be targeting elderly and vulnerable victims.

Police are appealing to the woman captured on CCTV footage to present herself at Waterval SAPS or the nearest police station to assist with the investigation.

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Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has strongly warned communities, especially the elderly, to exercise extreme caution when using ATMs and handling cash, particularly as the festive season approaches.

“Fraudsters and thieves often take advantage of people’s generosity and distractions,” said Lieutenant Hadebe.

“We urge the public never to accept help from strangers when withdrawing money at ATMs, and to immediately report any suspicious behaviour to the police.”