Multi-identity scammer targets vulnerable pensioners
A suspected con artist using aliases such as 'Norman Schneider' or 'Helfenschneider' is reportedly targeting elderly Namibians, particularly German-speaking residents, at the coast and in central Namibia.
Victims say the man poses as a stranded tourist and persuades them to send instant cash payments for supposed car repairs.
The suspect, reportedly speaking in a convincing Bavarian or Austrian accent, phones landline numbers, introducing himself as a long-lost acquaintance.
He claims his vehicle, described as a Toyota Land Cruiser, has broken down on the Swakopmund–Windhoek road and urgently needs spare parts, Namibian Sun was told.
“He sounded friendly and familiar, even knew where I lived,” said one man who lost N$1 500. “Only afterwards did I realise how smooth and well-rehearsed the story was.”
The scammer reportedly claims that a nearby mechanic can assist, provided an upfront call-out fee is paid. Victims are then asked to send the money via an instant-cash voucher. Soon after the payment, both phone numbers go dead, according to several accounts.
One resident said: “He spoke Bavarian, not Munich or Lower Bavarian, but close enough to sound genuine. I knew Bavaria well, and that’s how he fooled me at first.”
Numbers
A man whose cell number was later linked to the payments confirmed he is a mechanic but denied involvement.
He claimed he had once been contacted by a motorist needing control arms for a Ford Ranger (not a Toyota Land Cruiser) and that “a friend” paid him. He insisted he had no knowledge of any scam.
“The fact is that I sent the voucher PIN to that number,” a victim said. “If the mechanic really is innocent, then someone must have used his phone or intercepted the message. Either way, it’s the same number that received my money.”
The alleged fraud appears to rely on disposable or re-registered SIM cards bought under false identities. One victim noted: “He must have thrown the number away once he realised the trail was heating up.”
The victims have urged the police and telecom providers to trace the implicated numbers and review procedures around instant cash transfers and prepaid SIM registration, which remain vulnerable to exploitation.
Victims say the man poses as a stranded tourist and persuades them to send instant cash payments for supposed car repairs.
The suspect, reportedly speaking in a convincing Bavarian or Austrian accent, phones landline numbers, introducing himself as a long-lost acquaintance.
He claims his vehicle, described as a Toyota Land Cruiser, has broken down on the Swakopmund–Windhoek road and urgently needs spare parts, Namibian Sun was told.
“He sounded friendly and familiar, even knew where I lived,” said one man who lost N$1 500. “Only afterwards did I realise how smooth and well-rehearsed the story was.”
The scammer reportedly claims that a nearby mechanic can assist, provided an upfront call-out fee is paid. Victims are then asked to send the money via an instant-cash voucher. Soon after the payment, both phone numbers go dead, according to several accounts.
One resident said: “He spoke Bavarian, not Munich or Lower Bavarian, but close enough to sound genuine. I knew Bavaria well, and that’s how he fooled me at first.”
Numbers
A man whose cell number was later linked to the payments confirmed he is a mechanic but denied involvement.
He claimed he had once been contacted by a motorist needing control arms for a Ford Ranger (not a Toyota Land Cruiser) and that “a friend” paid him. He insisted he had no knowledge of any scam.
“The fact is that I sent the voucher PIN to that number,” a victim said. “If the mechanic really is innocent, then someone must have used his phone or intercepted the message. Either way, it’s the same number that received my money.”
The alleged fraud appears to rely on disposable or re-registered SIM cards bought under false identities. One victim noted: “He must have thrown the number away once he realised the trail was heating up.”
The victims have urged the police and telecom providers to trace the implicated numbers and review procedures around instant cash transfers and prepaid SIM registration, which remain vulnerable to exploitation.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article