The so-called herbalist had been previously arrested on similar fraud charges.
A woman, desperately trying to rid herself of “bad luck”, was allegedly conned out of R720 000 by a man claiming to be a herbalist.
The woman, from George in the Western Cape, recently went to the police after she found out the man had disappeared with her money, George Herald reported.
According to police spokesperson, Lieutenant Annacletta Mothoalo, the victim met with the so-called herbalist after she saw a pamphlet on which he advertised his services.
She set up an appointment with the man and told him about all the problems she had been experiencing.
“She was allegedly told that there is a lot of bad luck in her home and at her place of work. The victim soon advertised her home and sold it, and later resigned. Just as the suspect instructed her to do,” said Mothoalo.
The suspect allegedly then told the victim to transfer all her money, an amount of R720 000, into his bank account so that those who were “after her” could not get hold of it until he was done cleansing her house of all the “bad luck”.
Mothoalo said the woman transferred the money and afterwards went back to the premises where she previously met with the man, only to discover that he had dissappeared and no one knew where he was.
The victim later identified the suspect, who called himself Patrick, from a police suspect book. He had been previously arrested on similar fraud charges.
Mothoala said the incident was one of many reported to the George Police in recent months, adding several other cases of victims being conned out of money by people claiming to be pastors, doctors and professors were being investigated.
“In some of these cases the so-called pastors tell the victims they are going to die. It seems they know how to put fear into their victims. The victims are instructed to pay a certain amount so they (the suspects) can pray for protection,” said Mothoalo.