Foschini accountant falls victim to WhatsApp fraud

THE Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) in the Western Cape has secured a forfeiture order of R11 million after a senior treasury accountant at Foschini Retail Group (TFG) was duped into author-ising payments totalling more than R22m into fraudulent bank accounts.

- STAFF REPORTER

The forfeiture order was granted by the Western Cape High Court following evidence led by Senior State Advocate Nomasomi Nodada-Gantolo.

According to evidence before court, on February 3 last year, Johanna Rademan, a senior treasury accountant in TFG’s finance and advisory department, received a WhatsApp message from a person posing as the group’s chief financial officer, Ralph Buddle. Although she did not have Buddle’s cellphone number, she believed the message was genuine because his photograph appeared on the WhatsApp profile.

The message claimed that a recent board meeting had resulted in confidential developments that would impact TFG’s operations. Rademan was told she would need to sign a nondisclosure agreement before further details could be shared.