Tourists from the Netherlands, a husband and wife, are calling for justice after they lost over R127 000, through bank card cloning while passing through Mthatha on their way to Coffee Bay on September 29 this year.
The couple was allegedly defrauded by three men after being stopped by a bogus traffic officer on the N2 as they entered Mthatha.
They were coming from Underberg, en route to Coffee Bay, at the time of the incident.
“On September 29, a man posing as a traffic officer with a red flag pulled us, and a Toyota Corolla driving in front of us, over. We were then approached by a man in blue overalls with yellow stripes, who told us there had been flooding that required the purchase of a diversion permit to pass through Mthatha and the permit could only be paid for with a bank card,” said the husband, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The couple was further told they could continue with their journey after paying for the permit and that they had to follow the driver of the Toyota Corolla, who would show them the route for the detour.
The three men allegedly accompanied the couple to an ATM at a service station in Hillcrest where their bank cards were allegedly cloned.
Police say the matter has been handed over to the Mthatha commercial crimes unit for further investigation.
“According to the information, the complainant was travelling on the N2 road, entering Mthatha, when he was stopped by a male wearing a reflector jacket and waving a red flag.
“This adult male told the complainant that he needed to pay toll fees and when the complainant wanted to pay in cash, the man refused saying that only electronic payments were accepted,” said police spokesperson, Sergeant Khaya Matola-Mvanyashe.
“The complainant went to an ATM machine where he inserted the first bank card, and it got swallowed by the machine. He was told to insert another bank card and it also got swallowed by the machine.
“Three unknown males appeared standing close by and left one-by-one, shortly after both cards got swallowed by the machine,” she added.
Matola-Mvanyashe said the matter was initially reported at the Coffee Bay Police Station on September 30 and the docket recently got transferred to the Madeira Police Station in Mthatha.
The couple says the money was lost through a 20-minutes spending spree by the perpetrators before they could stop the bank cards.
Information on the matter may be shared by contacting the investigating officer Colonel Tamsanqa Ntshatsha on 072 102 3468 or 071 352 4737; alternatively, by contacting the Madeira Police Station Commander, Colonel Devan John on 072 731 1458.
