SAPS
The Hawks have arrested four sentenced prisoners for running an online extortion scam from two prisons in Gauteng.
Spokesperson, Captain Philani Nkwalase, says Hawks and Correctional Services Officers raided the Odi and Baviaaspoort Correctional Centres in Mabopane and Pretoria on Thursday night.
He says the raids were part of a long-running investigation into cybercrime, extortion, impersonating police officers as well as money-laundering.
Philani says during the search they seized 36 cell phones,19 chargers as well as other accessories, from the inmates.
He said they allegedly pretended to be police officers and extorted money from people who had sought the services of an online escort service.
The victims would later be informed by someone purporting to be a police officer that a case of rape and fraud was opened against them as they used fake money to pay the sex workers.
The suspects would also present a fake warrant of arrest through WhatsApp and demand payment to ensure that the police along with a bogus prosecutor make the cases disappear.
The inmates allegedly created profiles of police officers using the combination of both their names and photos taken from social media profiles of unsuspecting police officers.
Captain Phalani says they further sourced a call log from an online base escort agency continuously to contact the victims who paid them in fear of prosecution
Nkwalase said between May and August this year, amounts of R760 000 rand and R560 000 rand had been paid into two separate accounts provided to the victims.
He's appealed to anyone who may have fallen victim to a similar scam, to come forward.
In April this year, a 36-year-old man from Gqeberha fell victim to a similar scam.
Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu told AlgoaFM News at the time that nine similar cases were under investigation from across the Metro and surrounds.
