REDWOOD CITY — Police on Thursday arrested a 22-year-old Fresno man they say tried to scam an elderly Redwood City woman.
The victim contacted police around 3 p.m. Wednesday after becoming suspicious that she was the target of a fraud scheme, the Redwood City Police Department said in a news release.
Police said the woman reported receiving messages on her iPhone that AppleCare had detected suspicious activity. She then spoke with people posing as support representatives, who told her there were fraudulent charges associated with her bank account.
The suspects instructed the woman to withdraw cash from her account and hand it over to a courier, who would come to her residence to collect the money, police said.
Police intervened at that point. They coordinated further communication with the suspects, as well as put together a plan to identify and apprehend the courier if one…
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