South Africans are opening bank accounts for Nigerian criminals: Hawks

South Africans committing a crime for a quick buck are warned that the Hawks are on your trail.

"The Hawks have detected a trend in which people receive money in order to open bank accounts for people they do not even know‚" Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Netshiunda said on Tuesday.

"Criminals who hack people’s online banking details use those recklessly opened bank accounts to distribute the money online and make withdrawals throughout the country.

"The Hawks are issuing a stern warning to people who open bank accounts not to give their cards and pin numbers to anyone‚ or risk becoming accomplices to various crimes."

Over 55 suspects‚ most of them Nigerian nationals have so far been arrested for crimes varying from internet fraud‚ phishing and swim swap fraud.

The account numbers used by these suspects to transfer money were found to have been legally opened by South Africans who voluntarily handed over their cards and pin numbers for a fee.