A former risk service coach at Digital Outsource Services in the Western Cape has been jailed to an effective 10 years direct imprisonment.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed that Rudrees Yaseen Harris was sentenced in the Bellville Commercial Crimes Court this week.
Harris, 30, was found guilty of 24 counts of fraud and over 40 counts of cyber-crime.
NPA spokesperson in the Western Cape, Eric Ntabazalila, said Harris pleaded guilty to fraud, cybercrime and breach of the Prevention of the Organised Crime Act, which led to his employer losing millions of rands.
Explaining the merits of the case, the NPA said Harris worked at Digital Outsource Services, a company that provides administrative services, customer support, risk screening and financial management to offshore casinos and their customers.
“It also analyses monitors and screens transactions in foreign-based and managed casinos that have regulatory requirements around transactions in each jurisdiction and ensures compliance with all regulations.
“The accounts administered by Digital Outsource Services are held by customers who gamble online.”
The NPA said the company performs an administrative function that is invoiced out to the casinos.
“In that it monitors and analyses foreign customer accounts to assess risk, identify irregular activity and adjust balances where necessary.”
Harris worked as a Risk Service Coach and his position allowed him to add and remove funds manually from casino accounts for various reasons.
“On February 11, 2021, the company picked up that $49 000 NZD (over R522,000) were manually added to a particular casino account, named Katheleen 16.
“Harris was responsible for manually moving these funds.
“In November 2021, he added $99 000 NZD ( R1,090,446.28). These funds were transferred from the company’s legitimate players/ customer’s accounts without the company’s consent.
“The Kathleen 16 account was a dormant gambling account, and its use would not raise suspicions.
“On 31 December 2021, the company confronted him about the illegal transfers to the dormant account and sent him on leave for 8 days.”
In the plea and sentencing agreement, he confessed to manipulating the systems, and the company lost €206 058 or over R4million.
“The loss is calculated across 57 customer accounts on the customer and financial management systems of the company. This amounts to R4,2m.
“He opened an account into which he deposited R3,38m which he later transferred into bank accounts owned by his ex-girlfriend, her brother and his friend.”
IOL News