By GCWALISILE MHLABANE
MBABANE – The Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) has sounded the alarm over a growing extortion scam in which criminals falsely tell emaSwati that hitmen have been hired to kill them before demanding money to ‘save’ their lives.
The scammers are using fear, panic and personal information to make their threats appear genuine, with the police urging the public not to pay or engage with the criminals but to report the matter immediately.
Speaking on Eswatini TV’s Kusile Breakfast Show on July 23, 2026, Nicholas Jele, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police and Director of the Fraud and Commercial Crimes Unit within the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS).
Nicholas Jele said the new scam had emerged as a serious concern, with several cases reported to the police in recent months.
Jele said the fraudsters mainly use WhatsApp audio calls and direct phone calls to approach their victims.
According to him, the criminals tell their targets that someone who hates them has paid hitmen to kill them and that their lives are in immediate danger.
The fraudsters, he said, then demand money, claiming that the payment will prevent the alleged attack.
Jele said the criminals use two main approaches to manipulate their victims.
In one tactic, the caller poses as a traditional healer and claims that the victim’s life has already been ‘bought’ by someone who wants them dead.
The victim is then told to pay money for rituals supposedly intended to protect them from the alleged threat.
In another approach, the fraudster claims to be a hitman or an organiser of hitmen from KwaZulu-Natal, alleging that assassins have already been dispatched to kill the victim.
Jele said the criminals deliberately create a sense of urgency, knowing that frightened victims are more likely to act without thinking carefully or verifying the information.
“They might say we were given E40 000 to kill you, knowing that if you want to redeem your life, you will feel forced to offer more than E40 000 to outbid the person who wants you dead,” he said.
The police officer warned that the fraudsters often instruct victims not to report the threats to the police.
He said this was another tactic designed to isolate victims and give criminals more time to pressure them into handing over money.
Jele urged anyone who receives such a call to save the number used by the caller and immediately report the matter to the nearest police station.
“Have confidence in the Eswatini Police Service. Run to the nearest police station immediately,” he said.
While the criminals often target people they believe can afford to pay, Jele warned that the scam could affect anyone.
He said fear could push even people with limited financial resources to borrow money from relatives, friends or financial institutions in an attempt to meet the criminals’ demands.
The scammers, he added, sometimes have access to personal information about their victims, which they use to make their threats more convincing.
Jele explained that criminals may obtain a person’s name through caller identification applications such as Truecaller or through mobile money transactions, where a registered name may appear during the transaction process.
The fraudsters can then use the information to convince victims that they know them personally.
He said some criminals also monitor social media activity and movements, using information about where victims live or where they have been to intensify the psychological pressure.
“It is all a psychological trick to instill fear and extort your money,” Jele said.
The scam can be particularly convincing when victims are already involved in disputes with neighbours, colleagues, family members or other people in their communities.
Jele said fraudsters exploit such existing conflicts by making victims believe that their enemies may have hired hitmen to kill them.
He, however, assured the public that the police take threats to human life seriously and act swiftly when such reports are received.
Jele revealed that the police had received multiple reports linked to the scam in the past three months.
Although several people had reported receiving the threats, he said only about three victims had lost money before eventually reporting the incidents.
The officer further disclosed that more than 20 suspects had been arrested in connection with the latest extortion scam.
He said the wider crackdown on extortion and fraud had resulted in more than 120 scammers being arrested overall, signalling the police’s determination to dismantle criminal networks targeting members of the public.
Jele attributed the persistence of such crimes to the lure of quick money, saying criminals often become motivated to continue when they see the financial rewards of extortion.
He also revealed that some suspects are repeat offenders who commit new crimes while out on bail.
According to Jele, committing another offence while on bail can lead to the accused’s bail being revoked, resulting in them being remanded in custody until their cases are finalised.
The police have urged emaSwati to remain calm and vigilant when receiving suspicious calls.
Members of the public who receive threats from alleged hitmen or traditional healers are advised to save the caller’s number, do not pay any money and report the matter to the police immediately.
Jele stressed that prompt reporting is crucial in helping investigators trace the perpetrators and prevent other members of the public from falling victim to the same scam.
The message from the police is clear: Do not panic, do not pay and do not keep quiet. Report the threat.
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