A businesswoman was shocked to discover that a woman who allegedly stole her wedding decoration company's identity last year has now been arrested for allegedly scamming couples seeking wedding venues.
Prelyn Mohanlall, 53, from Shallcross in KZN was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly defrauding several couples by offering them a wedding venue she didn't own or manage in Botha's Hill, KZN.
The couples had allegedly paid her between R20,000 and R26,000 each for the venue but were later shocked to find out that it was dilapidated building with no electricity. It's alleged that Mohanlall disappeared with their money.
Taryn Clifton, owner of To The Tee, a Gauteng-based decor company, told Sowetan that she became aware of Mohanlall last year after a friend called her to congratulate her for expanding her business to KZN.
My friend was on the internet and she came across a company with the exact name and logo as mine but it was based in Durban and had a different contact number.
— Taryn Clifton, owner of To The Tee
“My friend was on the internet and she came across a company with the exact name and logo as mine but it was based in Durban and had a different contact number. I then confronted the owner [Mohanlall] and she apologised. Her apology sounded legit and I honestly thought it was an honest mistake,” said Clifton.
She said later, she found out that Mohanlall had allegedly tried to open accounts and apply for loans under Clifton's company name.
“In August I got a call from the bank and I was told that she claimed that my business was a sister company to hers. I told the banker that I am not associated with her and they did not give me more details,” say Clifton.
Mohanlall eventually changed her “business's” name to To The T late last year.
A Durban man allegedly paid R20,000 to Mohanlall late last year after seeing her business posts on social media. He had his fiancée had planned to get married in March this year.
“We saw the advert on TikTok, and we decided that we should use the venue at Botha Hill's Estate.”
After she allegedly rushed them to pay the money, the man said Mohanlall disappeared and could not be reached.
The couple ended up getting married in December at another venue.
The couple received their money yesterday following Mohanlall's arrest. Sowetan understands that another couple from Gauteng was also paid this week and withdrew their complaints.
She allegedly took money from a client who wanted to book a wedding venue for December 2024. The suspect appeared before Verulam magistrate's court on January 8 2025 and was granted a R20,000 bail and the matter was remanded to February
— KZN provincial police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda
KZN provincial police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda said Mohanlall was released on bail yesterday. “She allegedly took money from a client who wanted to book a wedding venue for December 2024. The suspect appeared before Verulam magistrate's court on January 8 2025 and was granted a R20,000 bail and the matter was remanded to February,” he said.
Prem Balram, spokesperson for Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), a private security company in KZN, said they got a complaint from a Durban couple that had lost R26,000.
“When details of the wedding venue scam was circulated, the RUSA Operations Centre received 17 calls for assistance regarding the same suspect. Complainants were from several provinces. Our reaction officers lured the suspect this morning [Tuesday] and after a brief interview arrested the woman,” said Balram.
Sowetan has also established that Mohanlall is a barred legal practitioner.
“Our records indicate that as far back as September 2002, the erstwhile KwaZulu-Natal Law Society had acted against Prelyn Mohanlall to prevent her from practicing as a legal practitioner as a result of serious complaints lodged against her at the time. The status of this practitioner has not changed and she still cannot practice as a legal practitioner.”
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