‘MUTHI turned all my money into gaming papers,’
The hysterical voice of a 38-year-old woman echoed around Empangeni town this week, after a gang of ‘muthi practicing’ criminals exchanged all her earnings for worthless paper.
According to the victim, a perpetrator used the ‘old trick’ and rubbed muthi on her before disappearing into the crowd.
‘They smeared a black lotion on my arm and immediately an old woman came to assist. She asked me to buy water in a supermarket and said she would cleanse me of the bad luck,’
The tearful victim said when she opened her bag to pay for the water, she had the shock of her life when she saw her money was gone.
‘I emptied my bag in search of it but there were only papers which were not there before.
‘I believe they followed me from an ATM and made me a target,’ she said.
‘It probably sounds like a fairy tale to people who don’t believe in muthi but it happened to me,’
The Zululand Observer recently published a story of an ‘evil syndicate’ in the township’s mall and preying on innocent shoppers – and since then many have come forward.
A victim from Empangeni who was scammed said criminals approach particularly the elderly, and promise to increase or even double their money.
‘They showed me a box and placed blank paper the size of bank notes inside, adding what they called a ‘special chemical’.
‘They asked me to put the rest of my money inside the box and closed it for about half an hour,’
‘I waited for the chemical to work, and after 30 minutes they gave me a wad of money and left.
When I counted it, there was only a R100 note and the rest were papers they had switched with my money,’ said the male victim.
Empangeni Police Cluster spokesperson Capt Mbongeni Mdlalose, said no cases have been reported lately, but it’s a known practice by criminals.
He warned shoppers and residents to be vigilant.
‘There are many of these money scams making their rounds and we plead with people to be aware.
Another scam involves a group of people pretending to be police officers. Residents must always ask for verification and identification when they are approached,’ said Mdlalose.
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