AN Eastern Cape woman was duped into believing her cash would grow by boiling it in chemicals

Two men approached a shebeen owner in Tyiweni Location, Dutywa, on Wednesday and told her they could make her rich, said Captain Jackson Manatha.

The men, aged 38 and 45, asked her for a R10 note. She borrowed one from a relative and gave it to them.

"The suspects mixed the money with certain chemicals and boiled it," he said. They returned with three R10 notes, each with different serial numbers.

Manatha said the notes were later found to be "high quality forgeries" which, "given to an unsuspecting person, they would not know they were fake".

"The 46-year-old tavern owner was then told to withdraw R1000 which would be cooked and would become thousands of rands. It is alleged that she withdrew the money, but before it was cooked police were tipped off about the scam," he said.

The men were arrested and would appear in the Dutywa Magistrate's Court today, said Manatha.