Fraudsters use ‘muthi’ scam to rob unsuspecting victims

AN old scam targeting unsuspecting victims, who are told their money has been tainted with ‘ muthi’, has resurfaced and a Richards Bay man lost thousands of rands as a result.

Richards Bay SAPS Communications Officer, Captain Debbie Ferreira, said the financial impact of the Covid- 19 lockdown has seen a spike in the number of scams, with many people losing significant amounts of money.

Ferreira said the victim was approached in town by an unknown male and told that someone had touched him with ‘ muthi’ and advised him to go to the police station as his money might be at risk.

While walking to the police station, he was given a lift by a group of men believed to be working in a syndicate. They advised him he needed to go to his house and fetch his identity document.

En route to his house they pointed a gun at him and ordered him to drive to Mtubatuba, where they took him to a bank to withdraw a large sum of cash.

‘ He was accompanied by a gunman and was threatened with death if he attempted to alert the bank staff.

‘ The funds were withdrawn and handed over, and the scammers fled the scene.

‘ We appeal to the public be be alert and not fall victim to such scams,’ said Ferreira.

The month of November is also known for the global Movember movement among men. This movement aims to pay special attention to men’s health issues, in particular, prostate cancer and testicular cancer, as well as men’s mental health issues.

Dr Yomesh Dassaye is one of the Urologist practicing at Melomed Richards Bay.

Prostate cancer is the second most frequent cancer diagnosis made in men and the fifth leading cause of death worldwide. Prostate cancer may be asymptomatic at the early stage and often has an indolent course. Prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates are strongly related to the age with the highest incidence being seen in elderly men (over 65 years of age).

There is no evidence yet on how to prevent prostate cancer. However, it is possible to lower the risk by:

limiting high-fat foods, Increasing the intake of vegetables and fruits Performing more exercise. Screening is highly recommended at age 45 for

men with familial history.

Prostate cancer may be asymptomatic at the early stage and often has an indolent course, and may require minimal or even no treatment.

However, the most frequent complaint is difficulty with urination, increased frequency, and nocturia (frequently waking up at night to urinate).

All symptoms may also arise from prostatic hypertrophy, (defined as: “Age-associated prostate gland enlargement that can cause urination difficulty.”)

More advanced stage of the disease may present with urinary retention and back pain, as the axis skeleton is the most common site of bony metastatic disease.

Current medical treatment approaches include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, cryosurgery and other methods.

These approaches are more or less effective either as monotherapy or in multimodal approach.