Pretoria – A Mozambican national Luis Raimundo Matola (43) was arrested during an operation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) supported forensic investigators from Absa and First National Bank for allegedly using a cloned bank card.
Hawks spokesperson in Mpumalanga, Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi said Matola was arrested after the latest incident, where the cloned card was used to enter and pass the N4 toll plaza in Kaapmuiden, Mpumalanga on Thursday, using a haulage truck.
“Investigation was established and led to the operation conducted whereby the suspect was arrested in possession of a cloned credit card and charged with the contravention of the provisions of Section 86(3) of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act,” Sekgotodi said.
“During an investigation, it was detected that the same cloned card was used between 22 November 2021 and 3 March 2022 to gain access at the tollgate, prejudicing and causing an actual loss of R113 525 to a company, Pro-Active Refrigeration (Pty) Ltd.”
Sekgotodi said 265 fraudulent transactions were made using the cloned bank card.
Matola appeared before the Barberton Magistrate’s Court on Friday, and the case was postponed to March 11, for formal bail application.
Last month, two men, Themba Titos Sibeko and France Josiah Moiane were arrested in Mpumalanga after they allegedly used a fraudulent bank card to pay for fuel in Mpumalanga.
The pair was identified by a petrol attendant when they returned to the same filling station in Middelburg, a day after they had allegedly used the fraudulent card to pay for fuel.
At the time, Sekgotodi said a bank investigator was at the filling station to probe the use of the fraudulent card when the alleged thieves showed up again, using same vehicle.
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“They were arrested by the Hawks serious commercial crime investigation (team) based in Middelburg for fraud, theft, contravention of the Cybercrimes Act and possession of and presenting counterfeit cards at Veritas filling station in Middelburg,” Sekgotodi said. IOL
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