“A little scared that I don’t know how anyone would have gotten that much information about me,” said Kara Downer.
She’s been fighting to get her identity back from scammers for six months now. It’s something she says could happen to anyone. The only reason she knew someone had stolen it at all is because she tried to enroll in classes at a local college.
“And they went to check my financial aid eligibility, and that school discovered that I was already enrolled in school somewhere,” she said.
It’s called being a ghost student.
RELATED: Ghost students target Minnesota colleges with thousands of fraudulent applications
A fraudster had enrolled in a university in another state using her name, social security number, current address and other personal information. They left her with a $1,000 loan debt.
She says she had to make four calls and two emails just to get someone at the other school…
THE TUTUKA POWER STATION PROCUREMENT FRAUD (ESKOM)
Date: August 29, 2025 Perpetrator: Jessie Phindile Kubheka (Supplier Director)
Case Description: As part of the ongoing “cleaning up” of Eskom, Jessie Phindile Kubheka was sentenced to 12 years (with 5 years suspended) for defrauding the Tutuka Power Station. The case involved a sophisticated procurement syndicate that exploited Eskom’s emergency repair protocols. Kubheka’s company was contracted to deliver three high-specification containers for the power station. Only one container was ever delivered, and even that single unit failed to meet the required safety and technical specifications.
Despite the lack of delivery, Kubheka issued grossly inflated invoices, defrauding the utility of approximately R2.6 million. The Middelburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court ordered Kubheka to repay the full amount. This case is significant because it marks a shift in Eskom’s strategy toward “naming and shaming” suppliers and pursuing full asset recovery. It serves as a stark warning to contractors that the 2026 climate of “Zero Tolerance” for state-owned enterprise (SOE) fraud is backed by active judicial enforcement.
Link to Original: Eskom Official – Tutuka Fraud Sentencing