A 45-year-old woman accused of defrauding families affected by Albania’s 2019 earthquake allegedly posed as a government official and promised victims new apartments or compensation in exchange for large sums of money, according to Tirana police.
Police said on August 27 that Ina Cakaj had been identified following an investigation by the Economic Crime Investigation Sector. Authorities allege that she targeted families in the Fushë-Krujë area, taking between €1,000 and €10,000 by promising to help them obtain housing or financial compensation.
A newly published audio recording by Albanian outlet JOQ Albania appears to capture a woman identified as Cakaj speaking with one of the residents she allegedly targeted.
In the recording, the woman reportedly introduces herself as an adviser to Prime Minister Edi Rama and refers to a…
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