Owner of Say Yes Bridal Boutique, Salomari Botes, tells OFM News how she discovered her company was involved in a scam - without her knowledge - when she started receiving strange calls from alleged customers on 5 November 2020. Botes says that a company, believed to be Euro Bride, allegedly stole her company’s identity and went on to trade and steal money from customers. She adds that directors of Euro Bride, one Mr and Mrs Mouton, created false invoices resulting in furious customers lodging complaints against Botes. A total of R1.2 million was acquired via the scam operation by the Gauteng-based Euro Bride.

‘’They started sending me a few invoices and I [could] see that these are not my clients. I don’t know these people and it’s my invoice, but the banking details are from a Euro Bride company in Bryanston. So I actually went onto my social media just to have a look what’s going on and I saw over 30 bad recommendations’’.

This scam has caused Botes and her company serious damage regarding the reputation of her establishment.
She says that she is currently in possession of the details of the scammers, such as their ID numbers, company registration documents, and other personal information.

She has since taken legal action by opening a criminal case against the Moutons in order to protect her business and intellectual property.

OFM News/Leatile Leiee and Blaine Jones