Three individuals, including Mandisa Ndletyana, a former Absa Bank manager, were sentenced for their involvement in a sophisticated credit card fraud scam amounting to R1 million.
Mandisa Ndletyana: Absa Bank manager sentenced for credit card fraud scam
Ndletyana, the ex-manager of Absa Bank’s Middelburg branch, along with two others, was convicted of a broad range of criminal activities including racketeering and fraud.
The sentencing followed a lengthy trial where Ndletyana faced charges primarily related to the fraudulent issuing of credit cards at the bank she managed in Middelburg, Mpumalanga.
She was sentenced to five years in prison for her role in the fraudulent activities that led to significant financial losses for the bank.
Alongside Ndletyana, Muhammad Afzal Yaseen and Khaya Honeman Nocanda, both integral to the criminal operations, were each sentenced to 11 years.
How the trio executed the R1m credit card fraud scam
The meticulously executed scam began in August 2019 and involved the fraudulent acquisition of credit cards at the Middelburg Absa branch, facilitated by Ndletyana.
The co-conspirators, including Nocanda and a Pakistani national Yaseen, exploited over 27 trafficked individuals from Beaufort West to Graaff-Reinet and then to Middelburg under the guise of employment.
Victims were instructed to open bank accounts and obtain credit cards with limits ranging from R10,000 to R35,000. The trio then swiftly took control of these cards, draining the accounts through systematic withdrawals.
The proceeds were divided among the members of this criminal enterprise, which had originally included seven people, though four were either deceased or had absconded by the trial’s commencement.
Things unravelled for the trio when a whistleblower alerted the bank to the suspicious activities.
This led to further investigations and the eventual apprehension of the individuals involved. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Eastern Cape reported that following the whistleblower’s tip, a pastor within the syndicate allegedly sought to harm the investigating officer and some witnesses, in an attempt to thwart the case.
In the end, the culmination of the legal process saw Mandisa Ndletyana, Muhammad Afzal Yaseen, and Khaya Honeman Nocanda sentenced in January 2024, after being convicted a month prior.