Three men accused of scamming a woman out of more than R3 million through an elaborate online dating fraud appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 1 July.
One of the suspects, Justice Motsamai Khanyapa, was arrested earlier this year in Orange Farm.The accused – identified as Gabriel Okori, Justice Khanyapa and Thabo Derrick Mnguni – are facing charges of fraud and theft linked to a romance scam that began on Facebook. According to the Hawks, the complainant believed she was in a romantic relationship with a man calling himself “Mark Hermanus,” who claimed his child was critically ill and needed medical treatment.The victim was gradually persuaded to deposit large sums of money into several bank accounts between 2022 and 2023.
Investigations revealed that these accounts belonged to individuals allegedly involved in the scam. The first arrest was made in Cape Town in October 2024, when Gabriel Okori, a Nigerian national, was traced and apprehended. He was granted bail of R5 000.
The second suspect, Justice Khanyapa, aged 38, was arrested in Orange Farm on 5 March 2025. He appeared in court later that month and was granted R1 000 bail.
The third and most recent arrest took place on 23 June 2025, when Thabo Derrick Mnguni, aged 53, was taken into custody by members of the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit. He remains in custody and appeared in court alongside his co-accused on Monday.
Warrant Officer Thatohatsi Mavimbela, explained that the scam involved emotional manipulation over WhatsApp, with the suspect “Mark Hermanus” using the story of a sick child to solicit money. “The complainant was led to believe that the funds would be reimbursed, but that never happened,” said Mavimbela.
Gauteng Hawks head, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa, commended the investigation team for their diligence and urged the public to be cautious when engaging in online relationships. “We encourage South Africans to be vigilant and to report suspicious activity,” he said.
All three suspects are expected to return to court as the matter proceeds.
