Bluff shipping con artist swindles millions

FRAUD, corruption, forgery, theft and money laundering are some of the allegations levelled against a Bluff resident.

Dubbed Durban’s shipping con-artist, Cindy Saunders, is undergoing trial for 146 counts of fraud amounting to nearly R19 million.

At her latest court appearance in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 19 February, she pleaded guilty to 45 charges levelled against her. These are for allegedly defrauding millions from her previous employer, Nicholson Shipping, as well as SK Boyz, a company she approached to sell containers for.

On the court charge sheet, Saunders confessed to defrauding Nicholson Shipping. She stated that she had a gambling problem and owed several loan sharks money. To raise funds, she proceeded to defraud Nicholson Shipping through a non-existent container scheme with the help of three other accused in the case. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said, “Saunders pleaded guilty to 45 counts of fraud and was convicted accordingly. The matter was postponed to 30 April for pre-sentencing reports. Her bail of R50 000 was renewed till then.”

But, Saunders’ dilemma did not end there. She proceeded to start up her own company, Precise Shipping Solutions Pty Ltd, that specialised in the movement of personal and household goods for immigration. Services offered included organising the container and ship, and clear the contents all the way to the new home’s front door overseas.

When the business collapsed, Saunders blamed the Covid-19 pandemic. The business has subsequently gone into liquidation, leaving many of her clients, who had hopes to immigrate, in dire straits after being swindled of their hard earned money. All trade ceased and the company has now apparently been handed over to a liquidator, but with unpaid shipping costs, this has proven a nightmare for many. Some of her clients have had to apparently pay double to release their containers while some containers were never even shipped out.

Over a hundred distressed victims took to social media to air their frustrations against the company. In addition to negative reviews on platforms such as Hello Peter, Saunders’ victims, who alleged her to have had underhanded business dealings, created the Facebook group Prosecute Precise Shipping where many members share similar stories of being defrauded of their monies.

In an unexpected turn of events, Saunders started two crowdfunding pages on a Go-FoundMe and ClickNDonate on Tuesday, 2 March, much to the disapproval of Prosecute Precise Shipping members. On the pages, she shared her gambling addiction and that she is in need of funds to help turn her life around. She admits that she has lost family and friends as a result of the drama that surrounds her.

“I have been called a monster, a disgrace, a thief, a pig, a person not deserving to be a mom, a person deserving to rot in hell. I sit here today fighting for my life knowing I have tried to confess to everything and fix my wrongs, but being a compulsive gambler comes with a price and for me it’s a cost. Currently my sentence is sitting at minimum 15 years and I’m fighting to prove a gambling addiction is real and there are millions who suffer from this addiction. In order for me to do this, I have to undergo treatment that comes at a huge cost which I don’t have. I’m asking everyone to please hear my story and even if it’s R100 that is donated it will help fight gambling awareness and prove this illness,” read her plea on the Go-FoundMe page.

However, the pages were reported and have since been taken down.

Comment from Saunders was not forthcoming by the time of going to print.