The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team has arrested a 30-year-old woman on 205 counts of fraud, money laundering, and theft following an alleged banking detail scam that cost her employer over R1 million.
Amy Mellisa Van Heerden was taken into custody on Thursday, 26 February 2026.
It is alleged that Van Heerden, while employed by Nashua Kathu, fraudulently altered the company’s banking details on business documents, replacing them with her personal account number. According to investigators, the modification resulted in business clients depositing funds intended for the company into Van Heerden’s personal account, causing a financial loss exceeding R1 million to Nashua.
The accused appeared in the Kathu Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 27 February 2026. The case against her was postponed to Wednesday, 11 March 2026, to allow for the matter to be transferred to the Regional Court.
Van Heerden was granted bail in the amount of R10,000 by the magistrate’s court.