More arrests in R18m fraud case

MORE suspected fraudsters have been apprehended over unauthorised debit order transactions where bank clients lost about R18 million collectively.

Hawks spokesperson Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu said a father and son, Ravenda Singh (50), and his son Andrew (26), directors of a Durban call centre, Sub User, were nabbed last Wednesday in Johannesburg.

“The duo handed themselves over to the Hawks. The pair appeared in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on fraud charges and were each granted R30 000 bail.

Mulamu said the suspects were linked via a forensic investigation carried out by the banks, to undue debit orders. “The accused allegedly created a fraudulent bank payment system to collect unauthorised debit orders for call centres,” she said.

Numerous clients from several banks countrywide reportedly lost their cash through the R99 debit order withdrawn fraudulently between November 2018 and February 2019.

“Their case was postponed to May 27 where they will be joining their co-accused, Jason Foster (39) and Richard Marsden (51), who were earlier arrested and later released on R30 000 and R100 000 bail, respectively.

Foster was arrested in February at OR Tambo International Airport, and Marsden in October last year at the Cape Town International Airport.

They were also directors of Durban-based call centre companies named Blue Debit and Talent Base. “The Hawks investigation revealed the syndicate siphoned almost R248 million from unsuspecting bank clients.” |