California Attorney General Rob Bonta announces the dismantling of a major hospice fraud scheme on April 9, 2026.
President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom both say they’re waging war on hospice fraud, or networks of sham businesses billing for nonexistent end-of-life care. But what might be common ground for the rivals has turned into the latest bout of one-upmanship between the state and the federal government.
Trump announced a fraud task force and claimed in March, without evidence or specifics, that fraud in California is “10 times worse” than any other state. California officials have responded to similar accusations from Trump over the course of his second term by denying Trump’s claims as outright lies — like when the president attempted to freeze billions in child welfare funds over unspecified “massive fraud.” But Newsom and others have…
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