A fraudulent cryptocurrency investment agency in the Garden Route area has made off with a total of around R5-million of residents’ hard-earned money.
The scammers, operating under the name “Trinity Token Investments”, operated in Mossel Bay and Knysna, where they had offices.
The scammers would give elaborate presentations on investing in cryptocurrencies to interested clients, get them to put down their “investments” and then disappear without a trace. Their pop-up offices were found to be deserted when clients returned.
Two of the victims, Vuyolwethu Mfumbe and Samantha Keen from Mossel Bay spoke to SABC: “When I called the consultants no one answered. Their phones were on voice mail. Then I started to think there was something strange. On day 2, I called again and it was still on voicemail. So, unfortunately, we got scammed. I saw friends of mine who invested and they received money and later on, I said it’s a legit company so I also invested.”
IRS Forensic Investigations’ Chad Thomas said they believe these scammers are part of a countrywide network.
“We have information that this is a national syndicate that has been operating in different small towns for a number of years now,” Thomas told the Mossel Bay Advertiser.
Thomas asked the public to help them find the three fraudsters from the Garden Route from these pictures:
CRYPTO SCAMMERS:
Help us identify 3 people pictured who actually opened two physical “branches” of a bogus crypto currency trading company in the Western Cape known as “Trinity Tokens”.
Contact IRS via https://t.co/XOBLifbzV8 or WhatsApp 0794442666. Cases opened at SAPS. pic.twitter.com/saStNiG2XP
— IRS Forensic Investigations (@FraudWatchZA) January 15, 2021
CASE UPDATE:
Two cases opened along Garden Route in Western Cape regarding “Trinity Tokens”.
Mossel Bay SAPS 91/1/2021
Knysna SAPS 243/1/2021
Victims lost millions of rands in crypto scam. Help us identify the alleged mastermind in the picture. Contact IRS WhatsApp 0794442666. https://t.co/zOisoVOuiI pic.twitter.com/x0rY6BCf8f— IRS Forensic Investigations (@FraudWatchZA) January 17, 2021
Cases have been opened at SAPS. Anyone with information can contact the IRS on their WhatsApp line 0794442666.
Picture: Unsplash