FAKE PROPHETS are allegedly working with insiders to target government employees.
The employees believe they are hypnotised to hand over their pension money.
They are told to resign and are led to financial ruin by fake men of the cloth.
The smooth-talking prophets are believed to be working with merciless people within the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) and the big banks.
After getting information like ID copies and employee numbers from the victims, the information is allegedly sent to these GEPF individuals who check how much pension the victim would get.
Victims told Daily Sun the fake prophets direct them to people who should help them with the paperwork when they resign.
“We suspect these individuals are paid and GEPF must trap them,” said a scammed teacher.
People at banks allegedly then help facilitate the withdrawals of the lump sum of the pension money.
From there it’s just a short step for the victims to hand over their money to the scammers. They believe they will get prayers but instead, they get ripped off.
Nurses, social workers, teachers and other government employees have been left without a job and without a cent to their names.
Springs police have launched a manhunt for two suspects after a teacher and social worker were fleeced of a total of R1,7 million in February.
A teacher said the three scammers who are from Burundi invited her to secret prayers at a house they rented in Dersley in Springs, Ekurhuleni.
“I wasn’t planning on resigning,” she said.
“They told me to buy one litre of mageu and a white cloth. They told me to close my eyes and when I opened them I saw a snake coming out of the mageu.”
They told her the snake would reveal her future.
She said she was told her ancestors had bigger plans for her and wanted her to resign from work and start a property business with them.
“They make a copy of your ID so they can register the business under your name,” she said.
Victims are shown a box full of real money and given some to spend.
Prophets who are believed to be hypnotising their targets get them to serve notice.
“I had to be penalised because I resigned before time so R750 000 was paid into my bank account,” the teacher said.
“I’ll do anything for work. I’ll work as a domestic worker,” she said.
A social worker told Daily Sun she went through the same ordeal after being scammed by the same fake prophets and she lost R981 000 of her pension money to them after being told to resign and bring her money to be prayed for.
“My kids are in university and I don’t know how I’m going to pay their fees and I must pay a mechanic before I can get my car,” said the 55-year-old social worker.
Spokeswoman for GEPF Matau Molapo promised to interview the victims and make an announcement to warn employees not to fall for the trick.
“We are going to investigate the matter,” she said.
GEPF spokesman Dr Rakgwatha Mokou said if people resigned properly, GEPF would have had to let them resign.
“After people have resigned or even retired, GEPF does not have any jurisdiction. What they do with their money is beyond the scope of the GEPF,” he said.
“We run campaigns in various media platforms to discourage people from resigning and not to share personal details with strangers.”
He said the alleged involvement of officials will be investigated and disciplinary processes will be put in place.
“We call on anyone who may prove the involvement of officials from GEPF to please come forward,” said Mokou.
Anyone who has information on the whereabouts of the fake prophets is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Leah Mtshwene on 083 2946 208 or Detective Sergeant Philisiwe Njwambe on 083 745 4244.
