Lobamba– Police in Lobamba are investigating a case of theft by false pretence after a 28-year-old Ndlembeni man allegedly lost E240 000 to suspected fraudsters posing as property agents in Ezulwini.
According to information released by the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), the victim was allegedly deceived into paying money for a house that had been advertised for sale on Facebook.
The incident reportedly occurred on May 14, 2026 at around 8:13am.
Police said the victim had been communicating with a man claiming to be a property agent after seeing the online advertisement. Following several discussions, the supposed agent allegedly took him to the property in Ezulwini.
At the house, the victim was introduced to a woman who claimed to be the owner of the property. There were also other individuals at the homestead who were presented as interested buyers.
The suspects allegedly convinced the victim that there was high demand for the property and pressured him to quickly secure the deal by paying a deposit.
Believing the transaction was genuine, the victim first paid E100 000 as a deposit before later transferring another E140 000 into a bank account belonging to the woman.
Police said problems began when the alleged sellers failed to provide the promised sale documents and repeatedly gave the victim excuses.
The man later realised he had been defrauded and demanded his money back. The suspects allegedly refunded only a portion of the money after the victim threatened to report the matter to police.
A case was eventually opened at Lobamba Police Station and investigations are continuing.
The police have since cautioned members of the public to verify property ownership and consult reliable authorities such as municipalities, town boards and other trusted institutions before making payments for land or property purchases.
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