A Cape Town woman is expected to be sentenced for lying about her child being kidnapped so she could collect the ransom money.
In February Bellville Commercial Crime Court magistrate Amrith Chabilall convicted Kateryna Karpovska, 39, of three counts of fraud amounting to about R4 million, the Independent Online reported.
On the third count of fraud, Karpovska e-mailed a friend on September 2, 2009, about the kidnapping, saying she raised most of the US2 million (about R18m) ransom the kidnappers had demanded.
She said she still needed US143,000 (about R1.3m). Seven of her American friends agreed to help and sent her the money.
After about R1m was paid into Karpovska's bank account she told her friends her son had been returned to her.
Karpovska said on August 5, 2009 her ex-boyfriend and two others had handcuffed and held her against her will, demanding that she get the money. She admitted lying about the kidnapping, but said she was forced to do so because her ex-boyfriend and two other people had terrorised her.
The court rejected her version of events.
She was convicted of three counts of fraud, but acquitted of one count of fraud, money laundering and contravening the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act.
Woman to be sentenced for kidnap scam
A Cape Town woman is expected to be sentenced for lying about her child being kidnapped so she could collect the ransom money.
In February Bellville Commercial Crime Court magistrate Amrith Chabilall convicted Kateryna Karpovska, 39, of three counts of fraud amounting to about R4 million, the Independent Online reported.
On the third count of fraud, Karpovska e-mailed a friend on September 2, 2009, about the kidnapping, saying she raised most of the US2 million (about R18m) ransom the kidnappers had demanded.
She said she still needed US143,000 (about R1.3m). Seven of her American friends agreed to help and sent her the money.
After about R1m was paid into Karpovska's bank account she told her friends her son had been returned to her.
Karpovska said on August 5, 2009 her ex-boyfriend and two others had handcuffed and held her against her will, demanding that she get the money. She admitted lying about the kidnapping, but said she was forced to do so because her ex-boyfriend and two other people had terrorised her.
The court rejected her version of events.
She was convicted of three counts of fraud, but acquitted of one count of fraud, money laundering and contravening the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act.
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