The American citizen was in the process of purchasing a house at the time of the fraud.
Image: File
A Nigerian national in Gauteng has been sentenced in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court sitting in Palm Ridge in Johannesburg.
Abdul Olatunji Samson was convicted on charges of theft and money laundering following a transnational fraud case.
Samson defrauded an American homebuyer of R3.2 million.
The provincial spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Phindi Mjonondwane said at the time of his arrest, Samson was already in custody serving a 12-year sentence for fraud in an unrelated matter.
The charges against Samson stem from a cyber-enabled fraud reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which subsequently involved the United States Secret Service (USSS). The USSS then collaborated with South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as Hawks).
The lead investigator in the case, Colonel Oscar Mopedi, uncovered that the victim’s email correspondence with their conveyancing attorney had been intercepted during the house purchase transaction.
Samson, the scammer, managed to manipulate the communication by substituting the attorney’s legitimate banking details with those linked to a fraudulent Bank of America account.
Unknowingly, the victim transferred over $200,000 (approximately R3.2 million), which was later funnelled into various South African bank accounts.
The court heard that Samson personally benefited to the tune of R1.9 million from the stolen funds.
In aggravation of sentence, Senior State Prosecutor advocate Ronel Dookun submitted that these types of crimes are complex to detect, investigate, and prosecute, often involving sophisticated networks and high-level planning.
She argued that sentences must reflect the serious impact these crimes have, especially when committed purely for self-enrichment. The court further remarked on the economic harm caused by such transnational crimes, particularly considering South Africa’s grey-listing, which damages the country's international financial reputation and suggests it may be a haven for criminal proceeds.
The court sentenced Samson to 10 years' imprisonment for theft and another 10 years for money laundering.
“The NPA emphasises that internationally, complex corruption and fraud cases can take an average of eight years to finalise, due to their intricate nature. Within South Africa’s adversarial legal system, guilty pleas in such cases remain uncommon, contributing to prolonged litigation timelines,” Mjonondwane said.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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