The head of the Minnesota agency overseeing $100 million in small business grants says fraudsters are targeting the program, highlighting the need for multiple layers of protection in an interview with 5 INVESTIGATES.
RELATED: Eligibility questions spark calls to suspend Minnesota’s $100 million ‘promise’ to small businesses
Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Matt Varilek said in an interview Tuesday that while safeguards are in place for the Minnesota Promise Act, they are not foolproof.
“People are targeting this program for fraud,” Varilek said. “That is unquestionable.”
For months, 5 INVESTIGATES has raised questions about whether some of those taxpayer dollars are going where they were intended. The investigation identified multiple businesses that received thousands of dollars in state grants despite appearing to operate miles away from qualifying…
THE ISUZU MOTORS PAYROLL FRAUD (GQEBERHA, SA)
Date: February 16, 2026 Perpetrator: Natasja Slabbert (42)
Case Description: In a case that hit home for the Eastern Cape business community, Natasja Slabbert, a payroll administrator at Isuzu Motors South Africa’s Struandale plant, was arrested for an alleged R10.5 million fraud. The scheme, which began surfacing in late 2024, exploited the very systems designed to manage employee compensation. Slabbert allegedly manipulated payroll records to create false entries that appeared as legitimate deductions and contributions on employee payslips. In reality, these “deductions” were being diverted into her personal bank account.
The fraud was only uncovered after diligent employees noticed that their net “take-home” pay was significantly lower than expected, despite the gross amounts on their payslips remaining high. Following a thorough probe by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team and the NPA’s Specialised Commercial Crime Unit, it was discovered that in August 2024 alone, over R626,000 was unlawfully transferred. Slabbert was granted bail of R5,000 on February 17, 2026, and the case has been postponed to later in the month for further legal proceedings. This case highlights the critical need for “segregation of duties” in payroll departments, as a single point of failure allowed for the systematic siphoning of millions over nearly two years.
Link to Original: PE Express – Isuzu Payroll Fraud