A 32-year-old woman accused of posing as a property auction agent and allegedly defrauding a victim of more than R200,000 in Gauteng has been released on R4,000 bail.
Rebotile Ankie Mohlolo appeared before the Klerksdorp Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, facing charges of fraud and contravening the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, 1998 (Act 121 of 1998).
Police said the case was postponed to 20 October 2026. A second suspect allegedly linked to the scheme remains at large, with investigators continuing efforts to locate and arrest the individual.
Authorities have urged members of the public to be particularly cautious when responding to property auction advertisements. Police advised prospective buyers to independently verify auctioneers, estate agents, property details and payment information before transferring any money.
How the alleged scam unfolded
Mohlolo was arrested on Tuesday by detectives from the Provincial Commercial Crime Investigation Unit as part of an investigation into an alleged fraudulent property auction scheme.
According to police, the investigation began after a victim responded to an online advertisement offering a house in Randlespark for auction.
After contacting the telephone number listed in the advertisement, the victim allegedly received documents to complete and was told that the property was available for purchase.
Police allege that she was then instructed to pay a R23,000 deposit. She subsequently received an invoice for the remaining amount, which included purported legal fees and brought the total payment to more than R200,000.
The victim allegedly made the payments as instructed after being told that the property would be transferred into her name within approximately 10 days.
However, once the stated period had passed, she was reportedly unable to reach the people she had been dealing with.
Alleged offices did not exist
Police said the victim then went to the address associated with the purported law firm or estate agency.
According to investigators, she discovered that the company did not operate from the premises and that the people occupying the property knew nothing about the alleged business.
It was at that point that the victim realised she had allegedly been defrauded.
The investigation remains ongoing as police work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged scheme and locate the second suspect.
North West Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Arthur Peter Adams praised Detective Warrant Officer Chris Marais for his investigation, which resulted in Mohlolo's arrest and subsequent appearance in court.
Police have again urged potential property buyers to independently confirm the legitimacy of auction advertisements and payment requests before committing financially.
Post a Comment