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FREE STATE – Ofentse Leeuw (23) and Andiswa Ntswabe (23) appeared before the Welkom Regional Court on Monday, 06 May 2024 where they were sentenced for fraud and uttering. Their sentencing originates from an incident which took place on 21 July 2023, where Leeuw and Ofentse approached Welkom Department of Labour offices, and presented false [...]

The South African fraud landscape has steadily increased over the past five years, making this one of the top risks South Africans face daily. “This increase is alarming and indicative of how South Africans are becoming easy targets for fraudsters and scammers who are highly motivated to find their next victim,” says Manie van Schalkwyk, …

FRESNO, Calif. — Makiah Miles, 30, of Compton, California, was sentenced yesterday to 21 months in prison and Apryl Weston, 51, of Santa Maria, California, was sentenced yesterday to 5 months in prison and 5 months home detention for submitting fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to the California Employment Development Department (EDD) in the names of [...]

MPUMALANGA- Jabulani Daniel Sishaba (57), a director of the company called ‘’Mangone Trading Enterprise cc", residing at Kabokweni area, Mpumalanga, is sought by the Nelspruit based Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team for fraud, theft or alternatively contravening the provisions of Section 235 of the Tax Administration Act, Act 28 of 2011 and Contravening Section [...]

GAUTENG – Lerato Patricia Mufamadi (42) formerly employed by MMG South Africa (Pty) Ltd as an executive administrator was sentenced to 291 years’ imprisonment for fraud by the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 06 May 2024. Mufamadi performed duties such as receiving petty cash, reconciliation and processing of the company's invoices. Instead of paying [...]

A federal jury convicted a New Jersey doctor today for causing the submission of over $5.4 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for orthotic braces ordered through a telemarketing scheme. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Adarsh Gupta, M.D., 51, of Sewell, signed thousands of prescriptions for orthotic braces for over 2,900 [...]

FREE STATE - Two suspects, aged 28 and 61, are expected to appear before the Botshabelo Magistrates' Court on charges of fraud and corruption. They were arrested by the Hawks' Serious Corruption Investigation team based in Bloemfontein on Sunday, 05 May 2024. On Saturday, 04 May 2024, the Hawks received information about corrupt activities taking [...]

Endo Health Solutions Inc. (EHSI) was ordered today to pay $1.086 billion in criminal fines and an additional $450 million in criminal forfeiture — the second-largest set of criminal financial penalties ever levied against a pharmaceutical company —for violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act related to the distribution of the opioid medication [...]

MPUMALANGA- A 43-year-old, well-known attorney and his three administrators between the ages 33 and 35, were detained by the Nelspruit based Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team on Wednesday, 2 May 2024, for fraud and impersonating an attorney. The arrest followed after complaints were received by the Hawks regarding several estates, which were administered by [...]

EASTERN CAPE – Mogamat Aiman Booley (53), the company director and his business entity appeared before East London Magistrate’s court on 2 May 2024, for allegations of fraud, forgery and uttering. In August 2013, the Eastern Cape Department of Human Settlement advertised a tender project to build houses at Buffalo City rural areas. The tender [...]

MPUMALANGA- A 43-year-old, well-known attorney and his three administrators between the ages 33 and 35, were detained by the Nelspruit based Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team on Wednesday, 2 May 2024, for fraud and impersonating an attorney. The arrest followed after complaints were received by the Hawks regarding several estates, which were administered by [...]

KWAZULU-NATAL – On Friday, 26 April 2024, the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime court sentenced Dr Kuhlekonke Richman Mkhize (40) and his company, Doctor Care Centre Incorporate for Fraud. During the period of March 2022, there was an audit conducted on Dr Kuhlekonke Richman Mkhize’s Personal income Tax between the period of 2016  to 2018. The outcome of [...]

NORTH WEST - Gaorutwe Rothwell Motingwe (40), the director of Gaomoti Enterprise Trading, appeared in the Lichtenburg Magistrate's Court on Friday, 26 April 2024, facing charges of fraud. Motingwe handed himself over to the police earlier on Friday morning and was charged with fraud following an investigation by the Hawks' Serious Commercial Crime Investigation in [...]

NORTH WEST - Bethune Mzimba (39) appeared in the Potchefstroom Magistrates' Court on Monday, 29 April 2024, facing charges of fraud and extortion. It is alleged that in January 2024, the complainant received a call from a male person who claimed to be calling from JB Marks Local Municipality Electricity Department. The complainant was told [...]

A sixth Nigerian national pleaded guilty to operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded elderly and vulnerable consumers across the United States. According to court documents, Amos Prince Okey Ezemma, 50, was a member of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States over the course of [...]

Defendant Earned Millions of Dollars but Did Not File Tax Returns or Pay Tax An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to tax evasion, operating an illegal gambling business and two counts of money laundering associated with his ownership and operation of illegal gambling businesses in Northeast Ohio. According to court documents and statements made in [...]

A Florida resident and dual citizen of the United States and Turkey was sentenced yesterday to six years and six months in prison for running an enormous operation over many years to traffic in fraudulent and counterfeit Cisco networking equipment. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Onur Aksoy, 40, of Miami, agreed to pay [...]

A Ukrainian national was sentenced today to 13 years and seven months in prison and ordered to pay over $16 million in restitution for his role in conducting over 2,500 ransomware attacks and demanding over $700 million in ransom payments. “As this sentencing shows, the Justice Department is working with our international partners and using [...]

A federal jury in New Haven, Connecticut, convicted a Nigerian national today for operating a business email compromise scheme out of multiple countries, including the United States. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Okechuckwu Valentine Osuji, 39, and his co-conspirators targeted specific individuals and businesses by masquerading as trustworthy entities in electronic [...]

Man Known as “Bitcoin Jesus” Evaded Nearly $50M in Taxes An indictment was unsealed yesterday charging Roger Ver, an early investor in bitcoins, with mail fraud, tax evasion and filing false tax returns. Ver was arrested this weekend in Spain based on the U.S. criminal charges. The United States will seek Ver’s extradition to stand [...]