A 39-year-old Nigerian national, Gabriel Okori, has been remanded in custody in South Africa after being charged with defrauding a woman of R3 million in a romance scam.
Okori, who allegedly posed as a white man named “Mark Hermanus” on Facebook, made his first appearance at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday, October 7, 2024.
His arrest was carried out last Thursday in Cape Town by South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (commonly known as the Hawks), with assistance from the City of Cape Town’s law enforcement and a private security firm.
Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Thatohatsi Mavimbela provided details of the scam, explaining that the victim initially connected with “Hermanus” on Facebook before their conversations shifted to WhatsApp. “Hermanus” convinced the victim that his son was gravely ill, prompting her to send money to cover supposed medical expenses.
Believing she was helping with treatment costs, the woman transferred over R3 million to the suspect. However, when “Hermanus” failed to repay the money as promised, the victim reported the matter to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit. A thorough investigation led to the identification and arrest of Gabriel Okori.
Okori’s court appearance in Pretoria resulted in the case being postponed until October 14, 2024.
