Several conveyancing attorneys and new homeowners in Nelson Mandela Bay have been duped out of R8.4m by con artists. A Saturday Dispatch report says the online scam includes the use of false bank accounts, fraudulent identities and fake e-mail addresses to siphon the money. Since January last year, R8.4m has been stolen in 19 separate cases reported by several conveyancing firms across the city.

The cases were opened by the attorneys days later, after fund payments failed to reflect in clients’ bank accounts. The most lost in one transaction was more than R3m, with nine of the cases reported between August and October. Generally, the amounts stolen vary between R300 000 and R800 000 per transaction.

A police spokesperson said the country-wide scam specifically targeted conveyancing firms. ‘The firms receive instructions purportedly from a client stating that their bank details have been changed. This client is usually waiting payment in lieu of a property sold. The instruction is sent by the perpetrators via e-mail but the address used by these criminals is almost identical to that of the attorneys’ client.’ Only upon further scrutiny of the e-mail address can a slight difference be seen. ‘After the transaction is complete, the large sum of money is withdrawn and the person disappears,’ she said. The bank account that was used then became inactive.

Full Saturday Dispatch report (subscription needed)