Namibian police uncover N$8 billion 'pig butchering' scam, 14 arrested
via The Namibian12 min read
Namibian authorities have uncovered an international 'pig butchering' romance scam, which defrauded victims of over N$8 billion between December 2022 and October 2023. The scheme, operated by a close corporation named Raylon Investment CC, recruited young Namibians, aged 20 to 35, to pose as wealthy individuals on social media and lure older men into fake cryptocurrency investments. One such recruit, Kambonde Nashitope, used fake identities like 'Heidi' and 'Jane' to scam individuals, including a Canadian man who lost over US$5,000. The operation, based in Windhoek, employed 88 individuals who were trained to send 450 messages per shift and were subjected to strict living conditions and fines. Namibian Police deputy inspector general Elia Mutota confirmed the N$8 billion loss and stated that over N$5 million has been recovered in Seychelles, belonging to victims from countries such as Canada, Britain, and the United States. The prosecutor general, Martha Imalwa, revealed that Raylon Investment was registered using the identity of a gardener, Petrus Paulus, who was deceived into providing his ID. A Zimbabwean national, Wishes Makoni, who was initially trafficked to Myanmar, was brought to Namibia to train recruits for the scam. The syndicate, which included Chinese nationals, was caught on October 3, 2023, after police received a tip-off. During the raid, police found over 150 employees, 200 desktop computers, and 300 smartphones. Fourteen people were arrested and charged with
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
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