OFFICE FOR FRAUDULENT BANK STATEMENTS EXPOSED

MBABANE – An office which deals in the sale of fraudulent bank statements has been uncovered in Manzini.

Individuals seeking, among other things, bank statements reflecting substantial amounts as their balance, have been flocking to the Enterprise Building in Manzini, for this service.
This is because some forgers have jumped in on the opportunity to make a quick buck, through producing fraudulent bank statements, which are part of the requirements for a person to secure an international passport in the wake of opportunities to be recruited for jobs abroad. A number of those who seek this service from the forgers are people who have been inactive in the labour market and/or were employed but were seeking greener pastures abroad. This is happening against the backdrop of an exodus of locals, both with qualifications and those without, who seek to be recruited abroad.  It is worth noting that in recent years, emaSwati have been seeking employment overseas, either in nursing homes, cruise ships and or to even teach English in eastern countries.

Balances

For many, their bank balances were beneath amounts which could permit them to buy air tickets to and from the countries they seek to work in.  As an alternative, seeking the easy way out through getting the forged bank statements is the only option for them. To establish how easy it is to get the bank statement, this publication’s reporters visited the Enterprise Building in Manzini, where the service is rendered. The Enterprise Building is situated between Ngwane Street and the Manzini Bus Rank. Upon arrival at the complex housing a variety of businesses, a number of people were sought for the assistance. On Wednesday, this publication’s reporters visited the complex and had a chit-chat with a number of people. It was gathered that the forged documents retailed between E200 and E700, depending on who was making it. Those who were sought to assist in this endeavour questioned what the reporters wanted the documents for.

The reporters told the individual that they wanted the documents to apply for a loan at some financial institutions or to apply for international passports. As such, on the first day of seeking to buy the forged bank statement, some of the people this publication’s reporters engaged with relayed that their customers were mostly teachers and nurses seeking to leave the country. As such, they even quizzed the reporters if they were within this cadre and at various instances their queries were responded to the affirmative. This was because among all the parties there were concerns of security, with the forgers fearing that they were supposedly dealing with plain-clothes police officers, while the latter did not want to lose their cover.

Unscrupulous

During the chit-chat with the unscrupulous individuals, they shared that the best way to produce the bank statements was when an individual presented their original bank statement, which they would work on. They claimed that this brought an advantage in that they were able to inflate their monthly income and present them as individuals who had surplus resources.
This was when this publication reporters realised that their plan would not be successful on the day and another individual had to return to seek the services as they had confirmed being employed within the civil service. On Friday, another reporter visited the building and the fear among those who act as a link to the forgers was visible. In this instance; they spent about 20 minutes moving within the building claiming that they were getting the individual. All along, some of them were monitoring the reporter on what he was doing to ensure that he was not a member of the law enforcement. After a while, the reporter returned with the forger, who asked the budget for the activity and was informed it was E200.

Through negotiations, a compromise was reached. He was asked his source of income and responded to be a hustler, which meant that the bank statement presented would not have any source of monthly income. He was informed to get the cash to pay and requested to pay through Mobile Money, to which he was advised to fund the withdrawal charges as well. Thereafter, he was advised to return after 30 minutes and or share his contacts so that the bank statement could be forwarded to him. Having presented a statement with E816.82, he requested that he should come across as having over E50 000 in his account as he wanted to seek employment abroad. The bank statement presented to the forger did not have the bank’s stamp; however the one he received after it was modified depicted to have been printed at The Gables as it was stamped April 9, 2024. It had a balance of E82 011.87 and had bulk deposits of E40 421.41, E35 420.71 and E10 700 made into the account which inflated the balance. Within it, a number of minimal amounts  were recorded and did not exceed E600. Also, there were minimal amounts sent to a few mobile telephone numbers depicted in the statement.

Meanwhile, securing the inflated bank statement was the initial step towards securing an international passport, as when seeking it, one has to file an application letter, submit a three-months bank statement, which shall depict that the individual would be able to sustain him or herself abroad. They also have to submit invitation letters from their hosts abroad, which could either be a letter of offer from a tertiary institution or employer and certified copies of national identity document, birth certificate and marriage certificate if applicable.

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