A 37-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with a disturbing romance scam that left a North West resident without her entire R600,000 pension payout. The suspect, Caroline Diana Sserufusa, was taken into custody by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks.
Sserufusa appeared in the Klerksdorp Specialized Commercial Crime Court on Wednesday, where she and her business faced serious charges of fraud and money laundering.
According to Warrant Officer Amogelang Malwetse, spokesperson for the Hawks in the North West province, the victim— a 47-year-old woman whose identity is being withheld to protect her privacy—met and began a romantic relationship with a man identified only as “Chris,” a Nigerian national, in June 2023.
The relationship, which initially appeared genuine, took a devastating turn after the woman received her pension lump sum. In a moment of trust, she confided in her partner about the payout.
Hawks investigations reveal that Chris then visited the victim at her home in Jouberton Township, North West. During the visit, he allegedly asked for her mobile banking login details. Trusting him, the woman complied.
Unbeknownst to her, Chris allegedly used her banking app credentials to transfer R610,000 into a bank account that belonged to an associate—without the victim’s knowledge or consent.
Shortly after the transaction, Chris reportedly vanished and is believed to have fled to Uganda, prompting the Hawks to launch an awareness campaign to warn others about similar scams.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are working to trace the stolen funds and locate Chris.
