Several women in KwaZulu-Natal have fallen victim to an elaborate scam by a man posing as a medical doctor from London.
The victims, aged between 65 and 78, reported the fraud to Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) in January 2025, seeking help in recovering their lost money. According to their accounts, they befriended the scammer—who identified himself as "Dr. Mike"—on Facebook. He claimed to be practicing in New York and promised to visit Durban for a romantic meeting.
As part of his deception, "Dr. Mike" told the women he was bringing $500,000 (approximately R9 million) into South Africa. Using phone numbers with UK and US prefixes, he later sent WhatsApp messages claiming he had been arrested at King Shaka International Airport (KSIA) and that authorities had confiscated the money. He then requested urgent payments ranging from R20,000 to R50,000, allegedly to secure his release.
One victim made multiple payments after the scammer claimed he was being held in an underground prison at the airport. However, after transferring the funds, the women who went to the airport to meet him found no trace of "Dr. Mike"—and were subsequently blocked on social media.
Authorities are investigating the scam, urging the public to remain cautious of online fraudsters.