Alleged con artist Claudia Smith has finally been busted.
She was arrested on January 15in the vicinity of Kensington.
Cops have yet to confirm how they managed to trace Smith, who has dodged cops for months despite her photograph being circulated on social media and in the media.
Smith would claim that either her mother or brother had died and that she needed financial assistance for the funeral. She is accused of conning people out of thousands of rands.
She even went to mosques and churches, pretending to be either Muslim or Christian, depending on who she approached.
BEHIND BARS: ‘Conwoman’ Claudia Smith was caught
This week, Cheslyn Steenberg of the Kensington Policing Forum confirmed Smith’s arrest and warned mense to be on the look-out for scammers.
“As a CPF, our position is that we really appreciate the South African police tracing her to make sure that justice is served,” he says.
“It will also be a concern that when she enters the criminal justice system, that she stays behind bars and that she is kept there.
“We applaud police for their good work because there are families and individuals who have been conned by her.
“People also need to become more aware of who they trust even if it is people they know.
“If the person says there is an undertaker for a funeral, call that undertaker first.”
In December, Smith allegedly conned the leadership of the Lutheran Church in Strand Street, Cape Town, out of R2000, claiming her mother had died and that she needed geld for the burial.
A pastor even got dressed in his ceremonial toga and waited for the coffin of Smith’s mother to arrive for the viewing.
But when the mourners didn’t show, the 59-year-old chairman of the church council, who asked not to be identified, informed the pastor that there would be no funeral and that they had been scammed.
Smith also allegedly defrauded a group of oumas in Manenberg last year out of R4000.
Police spokesperson, Captain FC Van Wyk confirms Smith arrest: "The suspect was arrested on 15 January 2019 at 13:32 at Kensington and it was found that she was wanted on another case on an outstanding Warrant of Arrest where she appeared on 16 January."