The Hawks have arrested a suspect accused of banking fraud worth over R3.7 million. Picture: Armand Hough/IndependentNewspapers
A 58-year-old man who was stopped on his tracks as he attempted to commit banking fraud to the tune of R3.7 million, has appeared in the Germiston Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
The suspect, Hendrik Kunneke, was charged with fraud after he was arrested at the Standard Bank branch last Thursday. His alleged tentativeness towards using the biometric systems to verify his identity caused suspicion with the bank staff.
Kunneke visited the bank and reportedly claimed to be the rightful owner of a bank account, but his alleged plan was to defraud the bank account holder of millions was scuppered when he failed to convince Standard Bank personnel of his identity.
When bank officials asked him to prove his identify, Kunneke said that his fingerprints were damaged, which raised suspicion.
After the suspect failed to answer the appropriate security questions, Standard Bank officials referred the situation to their fraud department.
The bank's branch manager quickly reported the incident to the Hawks' Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit.
Further investigation uncovered anomalies between the identity document Kunneke supplied and the information entered in the bank's system, indicating that the document may have been forged.
“Hawks investigators quickly identified that the ID document did not match the records held in the bank’s system,” spokesperson for the Hawks, Warrant Officer Thathohatsi Mavimbela, said.
"That, combined with his failure to authenticate his identity using fingerprints, led to his arrest."
The police confiscated Kunneke’s phone and identity document after making an arrest. He was officially charged with fraud, and on Monday. He appeared in court for the first time on the same day.
The case was postponed to Wednesday, September 11, so that he could file a formal bail application.
Kunneke has been charged with fraud and account takeover, crimes that cause financial ruin for their victims. However, quick action on the part of the Hawks and bank authorities have prevented any monetary losses.
“We treat fraud cases seriously, particularly when large sums of money are involved. The public may feel secure in the knowledge that we are dedicated to holding those accountable for their actions,” Mavimbela said.
Kunneke remains in custody while the investigation is ongoing.
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