JOHANNESBURG - Six more companies have been added to the list of confirmed victims of company hijacking in 2010, bringing the total number of recorded cases to twenty seven. They are: Galderma Laboratories South Africa, Astrapak Gauteng, ITQ Business Solutions, Fujitsu Services, Birchwood Management Company and Mtema Mashao Consulting and Civil Engineers.  

In all these cases the legitimate directors of the companies targeted were ‘resigned' on the database of the Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office (CIPRO) and replaced with fraudulent directors.

In at least one case a bank account was opened by the fraudsters in the name of the company and a substantial tax refund from the South African Revenue Service (SARS) was diverted into the new account.

The (possibly stolen) identity of one ‘Bekizitha Dlomo', 52, was used in several of the twenty seven cases.

According to CIPRO records ‘Dlomo' was fraudulently inserted as the director of ContinuitySA (June 1), Mtema Mashao Consulting and Civil Engineers (June 25), OEP Office Equipment Products (June 30), Vanern Investments (July 1), Natmed (August 19), and South African Valve and Tube Industry (August 31).

‘Dlomo' is also listed as a director of two CCs with names similar to the South African Revenue Service or the abbreviation thereof: ‘SARSA Projects and Maintenance Services' and ‘South Africa Mevenue Projects Services' (our emphasis).

* Note: This list excludes the unrelated cases of Kalahari Resources and Syanda Chrome.

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