Nigerian National Busted in South Africa for Deceiving Woman Out of R3 Million by Faking a White Identity on Facebook

Gabriel Okori faced the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday, October 7, 2024, following his arrest conducted by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, better known as the Hawks, with the help of local law enforcement and a private security team.

Gabriel Okori

 

A 39-year-old Nigerian man named Gabriel Okori has been apprehended and is being held for theft and fraud related to a significant romance scam amounting to R3 million in South Africa.

His court appearance came after a recent arrest in Cape Town on Thursday, October 3, 2024, by the Hawks in partnership with the City of Cape Town’s law enforcement and a private security firm.

“The victim claims she met what she believed to be a white male on Facebook under the alias Mark Hermanus. They exchanged numbers and started communicating through instant messaging (WhatsApp),” elaborated Warrant Officer Thatohatsi Mavimbela, the spokesperson for the Hawks in Gauteng.

“During their conversations, ‘Mark Hermanus’ alleged that his son was ill and requested financial assistance for his medical expenses.”

The investigation revealed that the woman continued to send money to “Mark Hermanus,” totaling more than R3 million over time. Despite his promises to reimburse her after settling his son’s medical dues, he never did.

“The case was escalated to the Hawks’ serious commercial crime unit, which successfully tracked and arrested Gabriel Okori in Cape Town on October 3,” Mavimbela stated.

Okori’s initial court appearance was held on Monday, and the case has been adjourned until October 14.