MANZINI – A 60-year-old man has allegedly lost E396 152 after suspicious bank transfers were made while his phone was not working.
According to preliminary police investigations, the incident occurred on October 17, 2026, when the man received an SMS notification about activity on his mobile number. When he later attempted to make a call, it failed to go through.
On Monday, he went to town to have his phone fixed and undergo a SIM swap. Immediately after the process, his phone began receiving messages, including bank notifications showing that money had been transferred from his account.
He rushed to his bank to investigate the transactions and obtained a statement revealing that the money had been transferred in instalments of E50 000 to two accounts held with local banks.
The funds were subsequently transferred to a Capitec Bank account in neighbouring South Africa.
The matter was formally reported to the police on October 18, 2026, and investigations are ongoing.
