The South African Police Service (SAPS) warns Facebook users of a fake Facebook account under the name of Jeff Rals luring young women under false pretenses following a kidnapping and rape incident.
On Monday, 19 May 2025, a fast thinking and vigilant member of the public acted quickly to alert police about a female friend who was lured under false pretences, kidnapped and raped repeatedly. The male friend reported to police that his female friend had fallen prey to a dating scam where this suspect was using a fake Facebook account to lure women.
He allegedly takes women from Gauteng to Limpopo on false promises of employment opportunities.
The Limpopo Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe was contacted and immediately mobilised a team to search for the victim. Within five hours of establishing this search party, the victim and kidnapper were traced to a filling station in Giyani, Limpopo – where the conman had run out of petrol and did not have funds to fill-up his motor vehicle.
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According to the victim, the kidnapper goes by the name of Jeff Rals on Facebook and uses a picture and identity that belongs to someone else. The police said, “He met the victim in Pretoria and immediately when the victim realised that the individual looks different from his Facebook profile, the scammer lied and said he is a driver sent by his brother JEFF RALS to pick her up. The scammer then drove to Limpopo with the victim under false pretenses and proceeded to rape her repeatedly at his homestead. The victim was also extorted financially.
The SAPS has warned online dating users to be extra cautious and not be so trusting. :”Online dating scams can often lead to requests to meet online lovers which could result in a kidnapping incident. These scammers often make the victim feel as though they have a genuine relationship. Once trust has been established, the scammer often requests money or either to meet the victim which results in a kidnapping incident, just like in this case.”
Police have encouraged, those who have fallen victim to come forward. “Limpopo police under the leadership of Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe ought to be commended for acting swiftly to save the life of this young woman,” SAPS said. The young woman is in the process of being reunited with her family today and the suspect is still in police custody and faces a charge of rape and kidnapping.
