By Kefiloe Kajane
A 31-year-old man of Kolonyama Ha ‘Nena has been arrested by police after being caught with fake documents which he used to scam businesses by soliciting personal protective equipment money which he claimed was for schools.
According to Senior Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli, the documents bore letterheads of schools he claimed to be acting on behalf of; they also had police stamps.
According to Mopeli, the letterheads were for schools like Abia High, KGM High School and Lesotho College of Education. The police stamps included Pitso Ground, Maseru Central Charge Office, Maseru Traffic, Berea Police and Mafeteng Police.
Police figured out that the stamps were photocopied from previously stamped documents to make the conman’s documents look authentic.
The suspect is currently in police custody, and is believed to have used this modus operandi to swindle undisclosed amounts of money from unnamed businesses.
“It turns out he started his scamming activities during last year’s nationwide lockdown. His luck eventually ran out when he tried to con one of the businesses Morija, where suspicious people tipped off the police, leading to his immediate apprehension,” Mopedi said.
