Arrest made in KZN holiday booking scam

Another spate of holiday bookings scams hit the South Coast over the festive season, with several holidaymakers complaining to the South Coast Herald that they had been conned out of thousands of rands this festive season.

In several cases, holidaymakers had arrived at their holiday destination only to find that the accommodation had already been let out to someone else, or that the advertised establishment was actually a private home.

ALSO READ: 5 ways to avoid holiday rental scams

The good news is that Margate police have made a breakthrough, after detectives arrested a 35-year-old woman for committing fraud last Thursday.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Sibu Ncane said, “The woman advertised fraudulent holiday accommodation and upon receiving payment, would disappear with the client’s money.”

The woman appeared in the Ramsgate Magistrate’s Court on several charges related to the scam.

Bail was denied and the case has been postponed to January 9.

The police believe that many people have fallen victim to this scam, and are appealing to others who have been defrauded to contact Warrant Officer Petro de Wit at 039 312 9800.

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