Man bought R1.3m car with fake payslips, and vanished

THE Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, has arrested a 27-year-old Limpopo man for fraud after he allegedly acquired a top-of-the-range Ford Raptor fraudulently.

- JONISAYI MAROMO

The 27-year-old man who cannot be identified until he appears in court was nabbed by the Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigation unit and the Sekhukhune tracing team at Groblersdal in Limpopo.

“It is alleged that during April 2023, the accused applied for motor vehicle finance at WesBank to purchase a Ford Ranger Raptor valued at over R1.3 million.

“The accused allegedly attached the bank statement and the employer’s payslip as requested,” said Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa, spokesperson for the Hawks in Limpopo.

“The application was processed and approved.”

The dealership then contacted the 27-year-old man and notified him that his application had been successful.

“He went to the dealership in Polokwane to collect the car, accompanied by two men who are also suspects,” said Mmuroa.

As days went by, the 27-year-old man failed to make the monthly installments for the vehicle. The bank tried to contact him without success.