R3 Million Rand Catfishing Fraud Suspect Arrested

GAUTENG – Gabriel Okori (39) has appeared before the Pretoria Magistrates Court on Monday, 07 October 2024 after being arrested on Thursday, 03 October 2024 in Cape Town by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation with the assistance from the City of Cape Town law enforcement as well as the local security company.

The complainant in the matter alleges that she met what she thought was a white male on Facebook by the name of ‘Mark Hermanus’, the two exchanged cellphone numbers and began chatting on instant messaging (Whatsapp). While the pair were getting to know each other, ‘Mark Hermanus’ informed the complainant that his son was sick and asked the complainant to lend him money for his sons medical bills, which escalated to over R3 million in which the suspect promised to pay back once he had paid all his sons medical bills and never did.

The matter was reported to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation which led to the arrest of the suspect who was traced and identified as Gabriel Okoli, a Nigerian national in Cape Town on Thursday, 03 October 2024. Okoli made his first appearance before the Pretoria Magistrates Court on Monday, 07 October 2024 where the matter was postponed to 14 October 2024.