Strengthening internal controls to prevent fraud
Two former employees of Build It Hardware in Lephalale, Limpopo, have been arrested for allegedly defrauding the company of R360,000. The pair are accused of diverting customer payments into their own bank accounts by manipulating credit accounts and instructing clients to deposit money into their private accounts.
Key details of the fraud case
- Location: Lephalale, Limpopo, South Africa
- Company: Build It Hardware
- Suspects: Two former employees (salesmen), aged 35 and 38
- Charges: Fraud
- Amount defrauded: Approximately R360,000
- Method: Diverting customer cash, manipulating credit accounts, instructing clients to deposit payments into private accounts.
- Number of compromised accounts: 24
- Arrest date: Thursday, 11 September 2025
- Court appearance: Lephalale Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 12 September 2025
Simple summary of the story
Two former salesmen from Build It Hardware in Lephalale, Limpopo, have been arrested for fraud. The men, aged 35 and 38, are accused of stealing around R360,000 from the company. They allegedly manipulated the company’s credit account system. They used the credit accounts of unsuspecting customers to process purchases for walk-in customers. They also told legitimate credit account holders to deposit their payments into the salesmen’s personal bank accounts instead of the official Build It account. A total of 24 customer accounts were affected by this fraud. The police arrested the two men on Thursday, 11 September 2025, after the court issued warrants for their arrest. They are scheduled to appear in the Lephalale Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 12 September 2025, to face charges of fraud. For more details, see the original report on X.
Questions and answers about the case
- What exactly did the employees do to commit the fraud?
- They used the credit accounts of customers without their knowledge to process transactions for other customers. They also instructed customers with legitimate credit accounts to deposit their payments into the employees’ personal bank accounts rather than the company’s account.
- How many customers were affected by this fraud?
- A total of 24 customer accounts were compromised as a result of the fraudulent activities.
- What is the likely punishment if they are found guilty?
- The punishment for fraud can vary depending on the amount of money involved and the specific laws of South Africa. It could range from fines to imprisonment.
- Will Build It Hardware compensate the affected customers?
- It is possible that Build It Hardware will offer compensation to the affected customers to maintain good customer relations. However, this would likely depend on the company’s policies and the legal advice they receive.
- How did Build It Hardware discover the fraud?
- The article does not provide these details.
- Where can I find more stories like this?
- You can find more news stories at City of Thohoyandou News.
