10 arrested in Free State after using fraudulent documents to loan R250 000 from bank
· Citizen
The South African Police Service (Saps) said 10 suspects – one woman and nine men – were arrested for alleged fraud in Odendaalsrus, Free State.
The suspects were apprehended after a 47-year-old woman applied for a bank loan using fraudulent documents. Police authorities were notified on Wednesday, 1 April 2026, of a suspicious loan application at a financial institution in Odendaalsrus.
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False documents
The bank manager who informed the police about the incident said that the R250 000 loan request was provisionally approved and awaiting security checks. However, following further investigations, it appeared that the woman was working with a syndicate.
Authorities also discovered that the payslip submitted by the applicant was fraudulent.
When the female suspect returned to the financial institution, preliminary investigations were conducted and revealed that all three payslips supplied by the applicant were falsified documents.
Alleged syndicate
After conducting further investigations, it was revealed that she was working with a syndicate in Gauteng and had already defrauded several other financial institutions.
The suspects were then apprehended and the vehicles they were using – a silver Suzuki 7-seater and a white Toyota Tazz – have been seized.
While other suspects were spotted in the park and were arrested, one driver managed to get away. He was ultimately traced and arrested in Welkom.
Police authorities also confiscated several bank cards during the arrests.
Facing charges of fraud, the 10 suspects aged between 23 and 24 are expected to make their first court appearance on Tuesday, 07 April 2026, at the Odendaalsrus Magistrate’s Court.
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