A 35-year-old man has appeared in the Bellville magistrate`s court in connection with the fraudulent transfer of money from Absa online banking customers` accounts.
The man, Johannes Jacobus Fourie, appeared briefly in court this morning in connection with 10 charges of fraud and theft involving around R530 000 transferred from online banking customers` accounts in the past few weeks. He was arrested at a Cape Town guesthouse last Thursday.
The case was remanded to 4 August, when his defence team comprising counsel, Sakkie Maartens, and attorney Chris Watney will decide whether to launch a bail application on his behalf.
Media reports at the weekend alleged that the man was filmed with an accomplice as they collected 15 laptop computers from a PC store last week. The hardware was allegedly paid for with some of the misappropriated money.
The two allegedly e-mailed a joke to people in the Bellville area, unleashing the 'spyware` that then logged their keystrokes and allowed the men to track their online banking sign-ons.
Western Cape provincial head of detective services Andre du Toit told a media briefing yesterday that there had been 10 complaints between 12 May and 18 July of illegal transactions from Absa accounts from Durbanville, Montagu, Stellenbosch and Paarl in the Western Cape.
Du Toit said some of the money had been recovered and he confirmed that police are investigating Fourie`s connection with other individuals.
Related link:
Absa security breach story roundup
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