Nelani said he sent R1 200 on 21 December last year to his sister in East London through the Shoprite Money Market, but she never received it. “I returned to Shoprite and told them that I got confirmation that the money was sent, but a while later the recipient did not receive it.”
He explained that after checking the system, a staff member at Shoprite told him that the money had been withdrawn at the same money market service point a few minutes after he sent it. “I asked to see the CCTV footage, but the store manager said footage had been given to the police. I took my print out and went to open a case at Midrand Police Station.”
Nelani alleges that it is possible that the person who took his money had inside information. “He knew how the system worked and stole the money the moment it went in.”
When asked about the incident, one of the managers, Simon Mazingi, said, “We understand, through Midrand Reporter, that the customer opened a fraud case with Midrand Police.”
Mazingi explained that if anyone has had a similar experience when sending money through the Shoprite Money Market, the sender must go to any Shoprite or Checkers store with their ID and an affidavit from the police requesting the store to trace the money.
Midrand Police spokesperson Constable Nanty Belebesi confirmed that the complainant’s case is still being investigated. “The suspect withdrew the money right after the complainant sent it. The suspect’s photo was published on Midrand Reporter for residents to assist police with his whereabouts. No arrest has been made yet.”
