KZN elderly women duped: R120k lost to fake UK doctor in romance scam

Several elderly women in Ethekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, have fallen victim to an online romance scam orchestrated by a man claiming to be a British doctor, resulting in collective losses of R120 000.

The victims, aged between 65 and 78, approached Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) in January 2025 to seek assistance in recovering their money.

According to Rusa, the scammer, who introduced himself as “Doctor Mike from London,” targeted his victims through Facebook, claiming he was practising medicine in New York.

After establishing contact, he promised the women romantic dates in Durban and claimed he was bringing $500,000 in cash into the country.

Rusa spokesperson Prem Balram explained that the scammer used phone numbers with USA and UK prefixes to appear legitimate.

“According to the victims, they had befriended the man on Facebook, who identified himself as Doctor Mike from London. He added that he was practising in New York in the USA,” Balram stated.

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The Airport arrest scam

The scheme took a dramatic turn when victims received WhatsApp messages claiming Dr Mike had been arrested at King Shaka International Airport, with his US dollars, equivalent to R9 million, allegedly confiscated by police.

“He requested R20 000 – R50 000 to be transferred immediately into his account so he could get the Dollars released, and the women could then fetch him from the airport,” Balram explained.

In one case, a victim made multiple transfers after receiving messages claiming the doctor was “being held at an underground prison at the airport”.

After transferring the money, the women would travel to the airport expecting to meet Dr Mike, only to discover they had been blocked on all social media platforms.

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Scam victims remain silent

According to Balram, none of the victims have registered police reports, and their families remain unaware of the scam.

“Their families are unaware that they have been scammed,” he noted.

All interactions with the scammer were limited to Facebook, with no video calls ever taking place.

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Warning signs and prevention

Balram urged the public to be vigilant, highlighting that scammers typically promise gifts and cash.

“If the victims are asked to deposit cash, it’s generally a scam. Rather block the scammer or report the matter to law enforcement,” he advised.

The perpetrator remains untraced, adding to a growing list of international romance scams targeting vulnerable elderly individuals in South Africa.

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