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A man who allegedly used romance and promises of business opportunities to persuade two women to take out loans worth R900,000 is being sought by police in the Free State.
The Free State commercial crimes investigation unit has appealed to the public for assistance in tracing 32-year-old Junior Bashiru, who has been identified as a person of interest in two separate fraud investigations in Welkom and Mangaung.
Police spokesperson Sgt Palesa Thabana said the two women, aged 42 and 51, were allegedly defrauded of a combined R858,000 between September 2024 and May this year.
“It is alleged that during the first incident, a 42-year-old female was approached as a love interest by the alleged suspect.
“The unsuspecting victim was later persuaded by the suspect to take out a loan of R500,000,” she said.
Thabana said the victim was allegedly defrauded of more than R516,000.
“This was paid to the alleged suspect on various occasions. The second incident involving a 51-year-old female was reported in Mangaung in May 2026,” she said.
Thabana said the 51-year-old woman was allegedly defrauded of about R342,000.
“This is after she took a personal loan when the suspect promised her an equal partnership for a business project. She then gave the money to the suspect with whom she believed she was in a mutual romantic relationship at the time,” she said.
“The two cases of fraud were registered in 2024 and 2026 in Welkom and Mangaung, respectively.”
Sowetan
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