COPS have issued a warning to Facebook users about a fraudulent account operating under the name Jeff Rals.
This comes after a distressing incident involving kidnapping and rape.
The suspect is believed to have lured young women from Gauteng to Limpopo with false employment promises.
This alert comes after a member of the public alerted police on Monday, 19 May, about a female friend who had fallen victim to the scam. She has been kidnapped and repeatedly raped.
National police spokeswoman Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the victim's male friend approached authorities after suspecting foul play when his friend disappeared after meeting someone with whom she had connected on Facebook.
"Limpopo Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe was contacted, and she 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," said Mathe.
ALSO READ | Shock as pupils assaulted with sjamboksOpens in new window
According to Mathe, the victim revealed that the suspect, who uses the name Jeff Rals on Facebook, had stolen someone else's identity and profile picture.
"He met the victim in Pretoria, and immediately when the victim realised that the individual looked different from his Facebook profile, the scammer lied and said he was a driver sent by his brother, Jeff Rals, to pick her up.
"The scammer drove to Limpopo with the victim under false pretences and proceeded to rape her repeatedly at his homestead. The victim was also extorted financially," said Mathe.
She urged online dating users to be extremely cautious.
"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 arranges to meet - which, in this case, resulted in the kidnapping," she said.
Anyone who may have fallen victim to this Facebook imposter is asked to come forward.
"Limpopo police, under the leadership of Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, ought to be commended for acting swiftly to save the young woman's life. The young woman is in the process of being reunited with her family today, and the suspect remains in police custody, facing rape and kidnapping charges," Mathe said.
