‘Tinder Swindler’ sentenced to three years in Cape Town dating scam case

A man linked to an online dating scam that cost victims thousands of rand has been sentenced to three years in prison following a plea agreement with the State, *Cape {town} Etc *reports.

Pius Emokpe, 52, was sentenced by the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, after pleading guilty to fraud and money laundering.

The case dates back to an online dating scam investigated by the Hawks and local authorities, with Emokpe arrested in May 2022 following allegations that he had used fake online profiles to deceive victims.

According to the Hawks, the accused allegedly posed as an Italian marine biologist on dating platforms, using fabricated projects and promises of repayment to persuade victims to provide financial assistance.

Between June 2021 and February 2022, Emokpe reportedly used fake profiles to build connections with people online before asking them for money.

The victims were allegedly assured that the funds would be repaid using proceeds from projects that did not exist. However, the promised repayments never materialised.

The case involved 106 fraud counts numbered 1 to 106 and a further 37 counts numbered 109 to 145. The court sentenced Emokpe to 10 years’ imprisonment for fraud, with seven years suspended, alongside three years for money laundering.

A charge under the Riotous Assemblies Act was withdrawn.

The investigation also uncovered other cases in which Emokpe was wanted, according to the Hawks.

When he was arrested in May 2022, authorities established that he was also wanted in five other cases being investigated by the South African Police Service’s Western Cape Provincial Commercial Crime Unit.

Those cases involved an alleged combined financial loss of R779,500.

The sentencing took into account the four-and-a-half years Emokpe had already spent in custody. As a result, he is expected to serve three years’ imprisonment.

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