Elize Grobbelaar, a 69-year-old resident from the Bay, felt reassured by Corné Mulder, the Western Cape leader of the Freedom Front Plus, featured in a financial advertisement, Cape {town} Etc reports.
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Convinced of its legitimacy, she decided to invest $100 (around R2 000) in a venture presented by Villion Trading, which she found impressively professional as per The Rapport. However, her son-in-law, Wian Meier, who works in telecommunications, quickly raised concerns. After researching, he discovered numerous negative reviews on HelloPeter, labelling Villion Trading as a scam.
Fortunately, Grobbelaar mentioned her investment to her family before putting in more money. Despite her attempts to reclaim her funds, she received no response.
Mulder informed City Press‘s sister publication, Rapport, that this scam has been active for months. He stated, ‘The first time I managed to stop it, but the post Grobbelaar responded to is new.’
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The scammers have become increasingly sophisticated, even creating fake links that appear to lead to credible news sites.
Mulder explained that people are often desperate to earn money in the current economic climate, making them more susceptible to such scams. He emphasised the age-old adage, ‘If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.’
Mulder is actively working to remove these fraudulent ads, expressing frustration that large social media platforms like Meta need to improve their fraud detection systems.
‘You are at their mercy. One reports it numerous times, and they have smart systems that should be able to detect and block such fraud as soon as it is posted,’ he said. He frequently receives inquiries from individuals hoping to profit from the schemes, only to have to inform them it’s all fake.
Similarly, Waldimar Pelser, a former editor and director of DStv’s Premium channels, also fell victim to fake marketing campaigns. He found his name used in a fabricated investment advertisement for a company called Bitcoin 360 AI.
When he attempted to report the misuse of his identity, he discovered that the person calling him wasn’t even associated with the advertised company. Pelser remarked, ‘It shows you the internet enables criminals to run faceless businesses that are very difficult to hold accountable for their crimes.’
He cautioned that the anonymity of the internet allows criminals to operate without accountability.
‘As deepfakes become more common, people’s assumption on the internet must be that it is untrue unless you have a very good reason to believe what you see,’ he warned. He advised everyone to remain sceptical of social media investments.
In another troubling case, a Cape Town woman believed she was chatting with billionaire Elon Musk on WhatsApp, sending R60 000 to the alleged billionaire. Previously, she had transferred over R70 000 to someone impersonating Dwayne Johnson. Her daughter shared that for months, her mother had been convinced of a plan for Musk to visit Cape Town to marry her.
Zelda du Preez, a 46-year-old from George, was introduced to a purported Tesla investment scheme by friends. Initially investing R200, they saw returns and soon escalated their investment to R15 000, persuaded by a sense of urgency and the allure of the Tesla brand. ‘They quickly realise you are keen and are now going to buy, and then they pressure you,’ she recounted.
Despite receiving warnings from their bank about suspicious accounts, the Du Preezs were reassured by the scammer and ended up transferring over R20 000. As communication dwindled, they realised they had been duped.
These stories highlight the dangers of trusting online investment opportunities, especially those featuring well-known personalities.
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