Dead domestic worker scam resurfaces

A scammer spinning a tale about a dead domestic worker has resurfaced, this time targeting someone in Lyttelton, Pretoria.

The culprit swindled a woman and her family out of R3 000 at the weekend.

The woman, who asked not to be named, said she received a telephone call in the early hours of Saturday.

A man told her that her domestic worker had been killed in a car crash. The caller said two other women also suffered fatal injuries.

“My husband and I were so shocked to hear about our domestic,” said the woman. “We were traumatised because she has been working for us for a long time and she lived on the premises. She is part of our family.”

According to the woman, the caller said he needed R3 000 for the car to be removed from the scene. He said the bodies of the three women had already been taken away.

“We were trying to find a way to get the money to this person, whom we believed was our domestic’s brother, as soon as possible,” said the woman. “We transferred the money, using the Shoprite cash-sending service.”

Later in the day, she told a neighbour that her domestic had died but to the woman’s surprise, she heard her domestic’s voice behind her. “When I turned around, she was there. I was shocked.”

The woman said it was not strange for her domestic to be away from home from time to time as she worked for other people as well. She also regularly attended church.

She said she ran into problems when she went to lay a charge with the police because they said they needed the address of the Shoprite where the money was withdrawn.

The woman said she got a printout of the name of the person who withdrew the money from the Shoprite in KwaMhlanga.

“A woman named of Maria Naledi Mokgomong withdrew the money. I am just grateful my domestic is alive, but we have to warn people out there about these scams.”

Lyttelton police spokesperson Captain Dave Miller was familiar with the scam.

“When people are employed, it is best to have contact details of a next-of-kin who can verify whether something has happened,” he said.– Caxton News Service

I am just grateful my domestic is alive, but we have to warn people out there about these scams.

Victim Employer of domestic worker