Hundreds of victims of alleged travel swindler, Tasneem Moosa, are demanding “immediate and urgent action” from law enforcement agencies. “Scores of criminal cases have been opened with police for theft and fraud, and others are in the process of doing so,” said Dr M.Faraaz Akoo, an admin on the “Hello Darling – Recovery” Telegram group that has over 3,400 members. “We are co-ordinating and assessing all the losses. At this stage it seems approximately 400 people we are aware of are affected. Some also invested money in Moosa’s company “Hello Darlings.” “People are devastated. Their dream holidays have not materialized. Others were scheduled to travel in the coming days and weeks,” said Shazia Mohamed. “Some families have lost hundreds of thousands of rands,” said Hawa Ismail. “We approached anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee last week, and he escalated the case.” “We also consulting lawyers to see what action is needed to reclaim our money,” said Michael Rentzke, another victim. Abramjee said it was clear that “large numbers of people are affected.” “I urge all victims to open charges of theft and fraud with the SAPS. Once this has been done, we will ask the Hawks to take over the probe. Moosa must be held accountable and face justice,” he said. Abramjee, who is also an Interpol #TurnBackCrime Ambassador, said: “Follow all the legal processes, and the law must take its course. People can run, but they cannot hide. If Moosa and her accomplices have fled the country, law enforcement will track them down and bring them to book.”
Abramjee also issued the following safety tips:
#HelloDarlings Travel/Holiday scams
•Check if your travel agent is part of a travel regulatory body
•Review their reviews and do your homework
•Authenticate their business and research the company fully
•Request to meet at their offices to make payment
•If it looks too good to be true, it probably is
•Don’t pay for your holiday by EFT
•Look out for dodgy marketing materials such as fuzzy logos and low-resolution images
•Are they making excuses?
•Check with the hotel/resort to confirm if any payment was made.
•Never make a payment without an invoice or into a different account name than that of the company Enquiries:Reporthellodarlings@gmail.com
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