[imagesource: Netflix]

Romance scams are actually pretty common, and Cape Town was dubbed an “international cybercrime capital” in 2019 after a string of victims of a dating scam came forward.

That involved a professional syndicate fleecing women. The man dubbed “South Africa’s very own Tinder Swindler” by City Press operates alone and uses techniques relatively similar to the now internationally notorious Simon Leviev.

Ugandan travel influencer and businessperson Amon “Amoleno” Namara matched with a 38-year-old Jozi businesswoman in August 2020. She alleges she has been taken for R128 000 “thanks to the Romeo with alleged kleptomaniac tendencies”:

Namara (39), posed as a successful businessperson who dealt in fuel, was involved in multinational businesses and was a millionaire.

…the Johannesburg woman said it was her first time on Tinder – a close friend signed her up to the site following a breakup.

The mother of two said Namara [below] wasted no time in asking for her contact numbers and moving their relationship from the realm of social media to real life…

Image: City Press via Instagram

“After that, he kept checking on me. I think what he does is check out your background – what you do for a living – and investigates you before starting to prey on you. He also convinced everyone around me that he was a sweetheart. My friends met him,” she said.

Less than a month in, Namara started asking her for money. It started with R15 000 transferred to his account, and he also took stock worth R60 600 from the woman’s boutique.

Namara’s social media profiles show him in premier holiday destinations around the world and lists a number of expensive cars and houses as belonging to him.

Sounds familiar, right?

Another victim says she met Namara at a restaurant in March 2020, and he wooed her with expensive dates and designer items.

Much like how Simon Leviev took from one woman and gave to another, those designer items were from the other victim’s store.

After three months – just as he had done to the other alleged victim – Namara told the woman that he wanted them to go on holiday and said he needed money to make the bookings. She gave him R16 000.

On the day they were supposed to fly to their destination, she waited for Namara at the airport – but he did not show up. She texted him, to no avail.

In anger, she posted about her experience online and other women came forward with similar stories.

Don’t bother looking for Namara on Instagram, because his account has been disabled.

There’s good news on that front:

Namara was arrested on Wednesday when the Hawks dramatically cornered him on a busy road in Sandton, Johannesburg.

He was arrested in connection with fraud, theft and money laundering. It is understood that the matter is related to a case opened by one of the women he allegedly swindled.

Last Friday, he appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court.

His case was postponed to March 4, when his bail application will be heard.

Ladies, if someone you’ve only recently met starts asking you for money, remember Simon Leviev and Namara and see the red flags before it’s too late.

[source:citypress]