By Theodorah Waga Mawasha
MARIRONG VILLAGE-Bitcoin continues to lead the pack of crypto currencies in terms of market capitalization, user base, and popularity.
This as digital currencies soar on the internet and scores of people invest their hard-earned money hoping to double or even triple their investments.
Inevitably, scammers have upped their ante, putting people at major risk of losing big.
Masilo Malatji (38), from Marirong village in Bolobedu, Greater Tzaneen, alleges that he recently fell victim to the crypto scam after accepting a friend request from a lady who introduced herself as Monica Nkosi on Facebook.
“I was browsing through my social media page when I came across a friend request from a lady called Monica Nkosi. She immediately told me that she was working for a trading company called Kryptovest Binary Trading and convinced me to invest with them as the money would multiply into R150,000, in a day or two. I transferred R3000 instantly because I believed her”, Malatji explained.
Malatji said that he was gullible because he ended up gambling all the money, he had saved up to build a house through his security job. Allegedly, he received WhatsApp texts from the lady demanding more money in the following days. Unsuspecting, he sent money that added up to a total of R156,000, in the space of a week.
“I sent R1000 after the first R3000 transfer I made. On another day I transferred R40,000 and the last money I recall sending was R98,000. However, at this point I was reluctant, uncomfortable and extremely suspicious “,Malatji said .
“On the day I sent the R98,000 I asked when I would get my proceeds, but, to my dismay, the scammer started quoting biblical scriptures. I figure she was trying to soften me up so that she could extort more money from me. I started to smell the coffee. I went to the bank in an attempt to stop the transfers I made. I then went to Tzaneen police station to open a case of fraud”, Malatji said.
Sadly, the money Malatji lost might not be recovered. In any case, he advised the masses to dismiss any investment opportunity that requires money upfront and never provide personal details to an entity that make unsolicited contact on email and social media or text.
