Woman convicted for ‘vishing’ scam
This offence, commonly referred to as ‘vishing’, is where criminals contact the victims telephonically, impersonating bank or government officials, misleading the victims into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords, PIN codes, credit card information, etc.
The Durban District Court has sentenced Zinhle Angel Gumede (37) to a fine of R5, 000 or five months imprisonment, wholly suspended for a period of five years, after she pleaded guilty to several counts of contravening the Cyber Crimes Act, as well as money laundering, amounting to approximately R 24, 000.
This offence, commonly referred to as ‘vishing’, is where criminals contact the victims telephonically, impersonating bank or government officials, misleading the victims into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords, PIN codes, credit card information, etc.
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Between May 24 and June 20, 2024, Gumede phoned the five complainants, who are aged between 66 and 74 years old, pretending to be from a banking institution.
She falsely informed them that fraudulent transactions were occurring on their accounts, thereby convincing them to access the banking applications on their cellphones.
Gumede then instructed them to facilitate cash-send transactions to a cellphone number she provided to them. She also convinced them to provide her with the PIN codes generated for those transactions.
Thereafter, she had an accomplice withdraw the funds from an ATM and deposit the money into her bank account. She was eventually arrested in October 2025, and her accomplice turned state witness.
Regional spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said, “In aggravation of the sentence, Prosecutor Tyron Ramsamy asked the court to impose a period of imprisonment, stating that this kind of offence has severe implications on the country’s economy. He further said that Gumede’s actions were strategic as she targeted vulnerable members of society, knowing that they would panic when told that their bank accounts were at risk. Ramsamy told the court that this case was the first reported successful ‘vishing’ prosecution in KwaZulu-Natal. Prosecutor Alexis Appalsamy also assisted in this matter.”
Gumede was sentenced accordingly. In addition to the sentence, the prosecution secured an order in terms of Section 18 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, which was facilitated by Advocate Rajendrie Naidoo of the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) in KwaZulu-Natal.
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According to the order, Gumede was directed to pay all the complainants back. She has complied with the order and has paid the complainants back in full.
“The NPA sends out a cautionary message to the public, asking them to be vigilant and aware of such scams. Cybercrime is evolving, and fraudsters are becoming innovative in the methods they use to defraud people. Consumers are encouraged to contact their bank directly if they receive suspicious calls or requests regarding their personal/banking information,” Ramkisson-Kara concluded.
