By Delisa Thwala
The Nation may have heaved a sigh of relief after the crackdown on Facata scammers but it may not be really over.
The National Commissioner of Police Manoma Vusi Masango revealed there is a rise in scammers posing as witch doctors.
When speaking during the International Fraud Awareness Week Launch held earlier in the week, he revealed that even he almost fell victim to the ‘witch doctor’
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“Someone called me and said they were an ‘inyanga.’ They went on to ask me what problems I was facing at work so they might help me at a certain fee. I told them directly I am not to be played with,’’ said Masango.
He further shared that, the scammer on the other end of the phone was angry and started hurling insults. This trend has been also noted on Facebook where people shared their testimonies of being scammed by the said ‘Witchdoctor’.
As traditional beliefs and customs play an important role in Eswatini, some people turn to witch doctors for advice, spiritual guidance, and healing.
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However, this reliance on traditional practices also makes them vulnerable to scams, as fake witch doctors take advantage of people’s trust to defraud them.
In recent times, a growing number of fraudsters have been posing as witch doctors, preying on people’s desperation, and offering false promises of miracles.
The scams often involve demands for large sums of money in exchange for supposed spells or potions that will bring wealth, luck, or even cure illnesses.
