Criminals drugging victims to steal millions

By: Natasha Archary

The South African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS) is warning of criminal syndicates who are drugging victims with hallucinogens in order to steal millions.

Nazia Karrim, Head of Product Development at the SAFPS, and Mkhulu Solly Nduku, Traditional Health Practitioners Sector Leader, join Gugulethu Mfuphi on Kaya Biz to share more on the scary new trend that plays on cultural beliefs.

Also known as the “sangoma scam”, unsuspecting victims are lured by false prophets, and traditional healers who use the guise of ancestors in a desperate attempt to get away with large sums of money.

“Unsuspecting victims are being lured by false prophets, corrupt/fake traditional healers, who claim to have communicated with the victims’ ancestors concerning their difficult circumstances.

They claim the turmoil their intended target is experiencing is spiritual turmoil, which can only be cured if the sangoma takes them on a cleansing ritual, which will bless them with good health and wealth and turn the tide of their bad circumstances.

Many cases have been reported, and often unsuspecting victims are left with nothing.”
Nazia Karrim, Head of Product Development at the SAFPS

Karrim says a number to people who were caught in the “ancestry scams” took substantial amounts of money out of their pension funds which they handed over to the scammers.

According to Karrim there are syndicates of fake traditional healers who target their potential victims after profiling them.

Because it’s such a sensitive modus operandi that’s used, many victims believe that it is their ancestors who are guiding the scam artists, and therefore don’t think twice about making the large payments.

Mkhulu says they have been inundated with calls about charlatans and imposters posing as traditional healers at the Traditional Health Practitioners Sector.

While strides have been made to curb these scams, the problem is that through digital innovation, scammers are getting more and more advanced with their schemes.

Mkhulu warns that there’s also a large number of sexual assaults that take place with these scammers, and victims are often drugged with hallucinogens.