A sophisticated scam originating from within a prison cell has defrauded a woman of R41,760 after a bogus Hawks officer convinced her she was facing a reopened murder case.
The victim, who cannot be named for her safety, was first targeted in September 2022, sixteen years after all charges against her for a 2006 murder were withdrawn.
She received a call from a man identifying himself as Captain Monama from the Hawks. The impersonator informed her that the old murder case had been reactivated and that a warrant for her arrest had been issued. To avoid arrest and have the evidence against her destroyed, the fake captain demanded a payment of R25,000.
The victim, believing the threat was real, paid the amount in two separate instalments.
The scam did not end there. Two months later, the same individual called from the same number with a new story. He claimed that their arrangement had been discovered by his colleague, a “Detective Wessels,” who was angry that the victim had not been arrested. The conman, now identified as convicted rapist Bonginkosi Masango, then demanded additional money to “cool down” the fictitious detective.
The victim paid a further R16,760, bringing the total loss to R41,760.
In 2024, after realizing she had been defrauded, the victim registered a case with the Siyabuswa SAPS. The matter was subsequently referred to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team based in Middelburg.
Through a dedicated investigation, the team linked the crime to Masango following the arrest of his 28-year-old cousin, Koosnight Mahlangu, on Wednesday, September 3, 2025.
The investigation revealed that Bonginkosi Masango orchestrated the entire scheme from behind bars, where he is currently serving a 16-year prison term for a rape conviction handed down in 2015.