Woman conned out of more than N$350 000

WINDHOEK, 10 MAY  – A young woman lost about N.dollars 350 000 over a period of two years after falling victim to a phony scholarship scam – before the suspect in the matter was finally arrested.
The distraught woman, who requested to remain anonymous, told Nampa on Wednesday she and the suspect, who is a high school acquaintance, bumped into each other for the first time after years in 2016.
“We then met again after a few months and he asked if I was interested in applying for scholarships in the Netherlands, as he knew somebody who had an administration position at the European Union,” she narrated.
The victim, having always wanted to study medicine, agreed to apply and gave the suspect her documents, including her qualifications, after which she received a phone call from a person she described as sounding like a “white man”.
“The suspect then started requesting money from me, which he claimed was for processing the application form, medical testing and accommodation, among others.”
The victim said the last payment she made earlier this year was allegedly for topping up the six-year course tuition fee, which would be refunded to her by the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund, as there was a “glitch during payment”.
“After waiting for close to two years, I realised I was scammed. I decided to ask for my money back, but he always had excuses, so I reported the incident to the police and opened a case.”
City Police Public Relations Officer, Fabian Amukwelele confirmed the incident to this agency and said the suspect has been arrested.
He said a number of other people have since come forward and claimed to have been conned by the same person, and thorough investigations are being carried out.
Amukwelele cautioned members of the public to be vigilant for fraud and scams, adding that thorough research should be done before any money transaction.

NAMPA