TWO FRAUDSTERS SENTENCED FOR CONTRAVENING THE ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION ACT

WESTERN CAPE – Christo Janson (45) and Ismail Isaacs (52) entered into a plea sentence agreement with the State and were therefore found guilty then sentenced by the Bellville Serious Commercial Crimes Court on Monday, 19 April 2021.
They were both sentenced to eight years imprisonment suspended for five years and 12 months correctional supervision for 81 counts of fraud, five years imprisonment suspended for five years for 96 counts of Electronic Communication and Transaction (ECT) Act 25 of 2002 and five years imprisonment wholly suspended for five years for contravening Section 4 of Act 121 of 1998 (money laundering).
In 2013, FNB, Stanbic Bank and Barclays Bank in Botswana had huge increase in counterfeit fraud on their clients’ cards, committed in South Africa and more explicitly in the Western Cape. The card holders informed the banks of the dubious transactions. Then, the banks themselves identified a Common Purchase Point (CPP) which revealed that it was a filling station in Gaborone, Botswana. It was further revealed that some card information compromised in Botswana were also utilised in South Africa.
The case was then referred to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation in Cape Town and the team began their task. The accused were arrested and several unlawful equipment were found in their possession.
Additional to the sentence, the duo were each ordered to pay back R30 000 to the Asset Forfeiture account. As a result of the accused felonious activities, the banks suffered an actual loss of over R135 000.