A gang of five card-cloning members, among them three women, were handed jail sentences by the Mthatha Regional Court this week for their crimes.
Four of them – 29-year-old Ntombizodwa Malinga, Nonceba Mathe, 22, Sithabiso Dlodlo, 42, and Lindokuhle Jili, 31, were each sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment.
Their accomplice, 19-year-old Sharon Ngobese escaped with a lighter sentence of five years due to her age – and the fact that she was a first-time offender.
National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesman Luxolo Tyali said the gang was sentenced for forging credit cards and defrauding the lawful owners of the cards.
They were arrested last month after reportedly purchasing a television set worth almost R7 000, clothes and cologne at a store in Mbizana and a cellphone valued at around R3 100 at another store in Mthatha.
“The fraudsters initially faced five charges of conspiracy to commit fraud, fraud, prohibition of manufacture, possession and advertising of listed equipment, theft as well as contravening the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002,” Tyali said.
“The two latter charges however were withdrawn after they all pleaded guilty to the three charges, which were treated as one for the purpose of the sentence.”
According to the spokesman, the five accused admitted to having travelled from Johannesburg to Mbizana and Mthatha together. On their arrival they used fraudulent identity documents.
“They requested to be issued with account cards claiming their cards had been lost or stolen. When the cards were issued to them, they proceeded to make fraudulent purchases.”
Tyali said it had been discovered that Malinga, Mathe and Jili had previous suspended sentences handed down to them in the last three years for fraud. — sikhon@dispatch.co.za
Jail terms for card-clone five
Four of them – 29-year-old Ntombizodwa Malinga, Nonceba Mathe, 22, Sithabiso Dlodlo, 42, and Lindokuhle Jili, 31, were each sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment.
Their accomplice, 19-year-old Sharon Ngobese escaped with a lighter sentence of five years due to her age – and the fact that she was a first-time offender.
National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesman Luxolo Tyali said the gang was sentenced for forging credit cards and defrauding the lawful owners of the cards.
They were arrested last month after reportedly purchasing a television set worth almost R7 000, clothes and cologne at a store in Mbizana and a cellphone valued at around R3 100 at another store in Mthatha.
“The fraudsters initially faced five charges of conspiracy to commit fraud, fraud, prohibition of manufacture, possession and advertising of listed equipment, theft as well as contravening the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002,” Tyali said.
“The two latter charges however were withdrawn after they all pleaded guilty to the three charges, which were treated as one for the purpose of the sentence.”
According to the spokesman, the five accused admitted to having travelled from Johannesburg to Mbizana and Mthatha together. On their arrival they used fraudulent identity documents.
“They requested to be issued with account cards claiming their cards had been lost or stolen. When the cards were issued to them, they proceeded to make fraudulent purchases.”
Tyali said it had been discovered that Malinga, Mathe and Jili had previous suspended sentences handed down to them in the last three years for fraud. — sikhon@dispatch.co.za
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