Trio in court for swindling elderly woman out of R14 million in romance scam
Three suspects face charges in Muizenberg after allegedly defrauding an elderly woman of over R14 million through a deceptive romance scheme.
Image: Murray Swart/ Cape Argus
Three suspected romance swindlers appeared in the Muizenberg Magistrate's Court on Thursday, facing charges of fraud and money laundering that defrauded an unsuspecting victim of over R14 million.
Asanda Dwesini, 39, Nomphelo Fetman, 32, and Shan Gabrelle Lewis, 47, were arrested simultaneously by the Bellville Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team and the National Intervention Unit (NIU).
The swindling operation exploited an elderly woman, in her 70s, between 2017 and 2018, as confirmed by Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani.
“The scheme involved creating a fake profile on a dating website to manipulate the victim into giving the criminal money. It is reported that the alleged lover lured the victim by using flirtatious language, making her believe that they were in a genuine relationship.
“Once trust was established, he would ask for money, inventing reasons such as failed trips or urgent fines. The victim transferred money into various bank accounts shared by the alleged lover. This was often repeated until the victim became suspicious,” said Hani.
According to Hani, the fraudsters gained the victim’s trust and built a relationship with her, making everything about the romance feel normal, but the aim was to extort her.
“The Western Cape Provincial Head of the Hawks, Major General Mathipa Makgato, has sensitised the public to be cautious before involving themselves in questionable transactions. If they are uncertain, they should refrain from doing so,” said Hani.
Makgato further said “it is okay to reject or ignore any requests”.
“As criminals will often try to rush or make you panic. If you believe you have fallen for a scam, you should contact your bank immediately and report it to the nearest authorities,” said Makgato.
The matter against the trio was remanded to March 26, 2026, for bail information.
All three remain in custody.