Accommodation scammer nabbed in Empangeni
Port Shepstone woman, Melita Groenewald, who ran an accommodation booking website, African Retreats, was accused of swindling money from holiday makers and friends amounting to around R1-million
A 38-year-old woman who was on the run after being implicated in a string of accommodation fraud cases, was finally nabbed in Empangeni last week.
Port Shepstone woman, Melita Groenewald, who ran an accommodation booking website, African Retreats, was accused of swindling money from holiday makers and friends amounting to around R1-million.
It is alleged that after the victims paid her, she would say that her ex-boyfriend hacked into her system and stole the money.
She would then request her friends to urgently make an EFT deposit to secure accommodation for her clients.
Once all the money was received, she would make off, leaving her victims destitute.
The woman also had cases against her relating to theft.
In one of the incidents, it was alleged that while she was on the run with her 21-year-old boyfriend, they booked into a facility in Hibberdene where they stole the TV and other electrical appliances from their rented room.
They requested another room and cleared that out as well, before saying that the accommodation was not to their standards and left.
Cases against the woman were opened at Hibberdene, Polokwane and Eldorado Park.
It is believed that she fled to Richards Bay to hide out at her boyfriend’s late parents’ home.
After she learnt that police had tracked down her location, she fled to a farmstead outside Empangeni, where she was eventually arrested.
Groenewald was transferred and appeared in the Ramsgate Magistrate’s Court on Friday morning.
She will remain in custody at the Port Shepstone correctional facility until 14 January.
Police are also on the lookout for Steven Stillgate.
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