Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has revealed how an Umhlanga scam call centre allegedly stole money from victims through organised financial crime.
Responding to questions from MK Party MP Bongani Mkongi, Cachalia said the syndicate contacted people and falsely claimed there were suspicious or fraudulent transactions on their bank accounts.
Victims were then pressured into moving their money into bank accounts controlled by people recruited as money mules.
“Through the use of manipulation and urgency, victims were coerced into transferring funds into bank accounts controlled by individuals recruited as money mules,” Cachalia said.
He said the money was quickly withdrawn after the transfers, allowing the syndicate to take the proceeds.
Raid followed verified intelligence
Authorities raided the Umhlanga property at around 10:20 on 14 April 2026.
Cachalia said the operation was multi-disciplinary and intelligence-driven.
It involved Crime Intelligence, eThekwini Cluster Detectives, the Tactical Response Team, the Local Criminal Record Centre and the Cybercrime Unit.
“The intervention was based on verified intelligence indicating that the premises were being utilised as a base for conducting large-scale banking fraud,” he said.
Police arrested 23 suspects during the raid.
They included 13 women and 10 men, aged between 18 and 44.
Devices and records seized
Police seized laptops, smartphones, SIM cards, hard drives, tablets, documents and registers.
Cachalia said the seized material is believed to contain important operational and transactional information.
“All seized items have been secured for further forensic analysis as part of the ongoing investigation,” he said.
Investigators will now work to establish the full reach of the network, including any possible links to broader or multinational criminal structures.
The Umhlanga bust came months after a January 2026 raid in Bryanston, Johannesburg, where authorities seized assets worth nearly R44m linked to an alleged global scam call centre syndicate.
Expert warns scams look corporate
Cybersecurity educator Boikokobetso Makhetloane warned that these busts are only the “tip of the iceberg”.
He said some scam call centres operate like corporate companies and recruit people who may not initially know what work they are joining.
Makhetloane said workers are trained in tactics to scam victims and may be threatened if they speak out.
He also warned that former bank employees can become insider threats by using knowledge from their previous jobs to train scammers or sell information.