Cape Town – The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) has obtained an urgent High Court preservation order to freeze approximately R21.55 million in suspected fraud proceeds linked to a sophisticated online banking scam targeting a Middelburg-based company.
According to IOL, the case stems from an online banking scam in which about R21.55 million was fraudulently transferred from the account of Jormid, a Middelburg-based company.
As reported by The Citizen, NPA regional spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said the incident began on 21 May 2026, when Jormid’s financial manager, Mrs Jordaan, received WhatsApp messages that appeared to be from ABSA Bank.
The messages warned of “suspicious transactions” on the company’s account and requested confirmation of whether she had authorised them.
After she denied authorising the transactions, she received a telephone call from a person claiming to be from ABSA’s Fraud Division. The caller requested her assistance in cancelling the alleged transactions and instructed her to approve electronic links sent to her cellphone.
A high profile banking scam struck Middelburg-based engineering firm Jormid, with scammers making off with R21.55 million after a series of phone calls. https://t.co/rpHkoprZ9i
— MyBroadband (@mybroadband) June 17, 2026
While still on the call, Mrs Jordaan was alerted by a colleague that several substantial unauthorised transfers, amounting to approximately R21.55 million, had already been processed from the company’s account.
She immediately reported the matter to ABSA’s fraud department and opened a case with the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Middelburg.
The matter was subsequently referred to the AFU on 29 May 2026, which launched a financial investigation and sought assistance from the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC).
Following its investigation, the FIC issued directives to ABSA Bank to freeze funds held in nine bank accounts suspected of receiving the proceeds of the fraud.
Armed with the evidence gathered during the investigation and the FIC’s intervention, the AFU approached the Middelburg High Court on an urgent ex parte basis and, on 12 June 2026, successfully obtained a preservation of property order against the nine ABSA bank accounts.
The order prevents the dissipation of the suspected proceeds of crime, valued at approximately R21.55 million, while forfeiture proceedings continue in the High Court.
A criminal investigation remains underway, with suspects expected to face charges including fraud, theft and money laundering.
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
