The National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) in Mpumalanga has successfully recovered R21.55 million stolen from Jormid Electrical (Pty) Ltd in a WhatsApp banking scam. The funds were recovered after the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court granted three forfeiture orders against money held in nine bank accounts linked to the suspected fraud.
According to NPA regional spokesperson Monica Nyuswa, the scam began in May 2026 when the financial manager of Jormid Electrical received WhatsApp messages purportedly from ABSA Bank. The messages claimed that suspicious transactions had been detected on the company's business account and asked her to confirm whether the transactions were legitimate.
The financial manager was then contacted by a person claiming to be an ABSA Fraud Division official, who convinced her that he was assisting with the cancellation of fraudulent transactions. The caller instructed her to approve several electronic links sent to her cellphone. Unbeknownst to her, numerous unauthorised transactions had already been processed from the company's account, resulting in the theft of approximately R21.55 million.
The company immediately reported the matter to ABSA's Fraud Department and opened a criminal case with the South African Police Service in Middelburg. The case was referred to the AFU in Mpumalanga, which launched a financial investigation and enlisted the assistance of the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC).
Following an intervention request from the AFU, the FIC analysed the transactions and issued directives that resulted in funds being frozen in nine bank accounts suspected of receiving the proceeds of the fraud. The AFU then approached the Middelburg High Court on an urgent ex-parte application and obtained a preservation order in June 2026.
The preservation order prevented the suspected proceeds of crime, valued at approximately R21.55 million, from being dissipated while forfeiture proceedings were pursued. The subsequent forfeiture orders granted on 15 and 21 September marked the conclusion of the asset recovery process, with the full amount stolen from Jormid Electrical recovered and returned to the company.
The successful recovery of the stolen funds demonstrates the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies, the FIC, and the AFU in tracing and recovering proceeds of financial crime. As a result of the swift action taken by the authorities, Jormid Electrical suffered no financial loss as a result of the scam.
Key points
- The National Prosecuting Authority's Asset Forfeiture Unit recovered R21.55 million stolen from a Middelburg company in a sophisticated WhatsApp banking scam.
- The scam involved WhatsApp messages purportedly from ABSA Bank, which were used to target the company's financial manager and ultimately steal the funds.
- The recovery of the stolen funds demonstrates the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies in tracing and recovering proceeds of financial crime.
