Eastern Cape woman pulls off a R1. 6 million payday scam with 17 sneaky bank accounts
Image: Hawks
A 44-year-old Eastern Cape woman was convicted on Tuesday of defrauding her employer of more than R1.6 million through a scheme involving 17 different bank accounts in her name.
Nortier was convicted by the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on May 7, 2025, on charges of fraud and contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, No. 121 of 1998.
Provincial Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said Nortier's conviction followed her arrest by the Gqeberha-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team of the Hawks, in conjunction with the National Prosecuting Authority, in August 2024.
Mhlakuvana said between September 2019 and November 2022, Nortier, while employed as the debtor's clerk, orchestrated fraudulent activities that prejudiced the company by exorbitant amounts of cash
'FSPA, based in Newton Park in Gqeberha, trades as a business providing administrative and secretarial support to Sectional Title and Homeowners Association clients,' he said.
Mhlakuvana added the company managed 82 housing complexes in the Gqeberha region, with part of its daily functions involving the maintenance of bank accounts and general ledgers for each complex.
'The various bank accounts were managed through a joint trust account,' he said.
'Levies for each of the 82 housing complexes were paid from this account.'
According to Mhlakuvana, the fraud was discovered on November 2, 2022, when a complaint was made after a refund of levies to two different owners was paid into the same bank account.
'Probing revealed that Nortier had 17 different bank accounts in her name wherein she diverted monies that were due to the clients, thus prejudicing the company more than R1.6 million, hence she was arrested in August 2024,' he said.
Mhlakuvana said Nortier appeared in court on the day of her arrest and was released on R100 bail due to her socio-economic status.
'Nortier made numerous court appearances until her conviction by the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on May 7, 2025, and the matter was remanded to June 19, 2025, for pre-sentencing,' Mhlakuvana added.
Meanwhile, the provincial head of the Hawks, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, praised the joint investigative team.
'(They) secured a conviction and anticipated a deserving sentence against the perpetrator as it would deter criminal activities in the province,' he said.
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In a separate incident, Syed Khurram Aftab, 24, was found guilty and fined R136,750 by the Gqeberha Magistrate's Court on May 5, 2025, for contravening the Counterfeit Goods Act.
Aftab had been served with a summons by the Hawks in April 2025.
Mhlakuvana said that on March 18, 2025, Spoor & Fisher Attorneys, a firm specialising in trademark matters and anti-counterfeiting, received a complaint about counterfeit Apple iPhone goods being sold at MOD Tech shop in Walmer, Gqeberha.
'Subsequently, the law firm surveilled the cellular shop to ascertain the ferocity of the crime,' he said.
'According to the reports, a representative from attorneys purchased the items and analysed them, which were proved to be counterfeited,' he added.
Mhlakuvana said the lawyers conducted tests on the items, which represented Apple Inc., headquartered in the United States.
'The matter was officially reported to the SCCI of the Hawks for further investigation,' he said.
'On March 28, 2025, the investigating team of the Hawks executed a search and seizure warrant which authorised the investigators to search at the aforementioned shop.'
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