Brothers Raees and Ameer Cajee promised patrons they could make small fortunes off Bitcoin using their company, Africrypt. But in 2021, the brothers fled South Africa, claiming criminals had hacked the platform. According to angry investors, they fled with $3.6 billion in Bitcoin. In Gauteng, a man named Jacques Arthur Malot posed as a Blue Bulls rugby player on dating sites. The women who initiated relationships with him were subjected to extortion, assault and theft – some even left the country in fear. School teacher Vindra Moodley told her employers in KwaZulu-Natal that she had been diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer and only had months to live. Her friends and co-workers rallied to support her. The cancer was fake, but she used it to extort almost R2 million from the school.
These people are all con artists who use a false image to extract money, status and sympathy from their targets. The scam is insidious because it relies on victims voluntarily handing over money or support. The con artist’s weapon is people’s dreams. They exploit the desire for love, wealth or adventure for personal gain, leaving a trail of broken hearts and empty bank accounts.
Con artists have become an on-screen phenomenon. Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler centres on Simon Leviev (born Shimon Hayut), who claimed on Tinder and Instagram to be the super wealthy son of an Israeli diamond billionaire. After luring his victims with lavish meals at five-star…
