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Four suspects were nabbed by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) this week after a fraudulent spree targeting unsuspecting pensioners, Nhau/Indaba has learnt.
The quartet comprising of Molyn Mugodi, Kirthmore Magqoka, Joseph Sigauke and John Tevera reportedly created fake national
identity cards through fraudulent means and managed to steal ZWL$15 000 000,00 from at least nine pensioners.
Before the bust, ZACC arrested two other suspects last week namely Collin Mangome and Isaac Mafa who are allegedly connected to the syndicate.
According to the corruption watchdog, Magqoka, Sigauke and Tevera moved around Harare looking for lost plastic national identification cards. Once in possession of these, they would erase the details on the documents.
Mangome and Mafa would then provide information of government pensioners who had received their lump sum pay outs.
“The information included potential victims’ names, bank account numbers, national identity numbers, dates of birth and their respective banks.”
“They would also get the same information in relation to account holders whose accounts had substantial amounts of money,” Zacc spokesperson Commissioner John Makamure said in a statement.
“Equipped with this information, Mugodi would get the defaced national identity cards from Magqoka, Sigauke and Tevera and allegedly print fake national identity cards with the details of the targeted pensioners or account holders bearing the facial photos of either one David Madzinga or Samson Chome.”
The syndicate allegedly targeted pensioners or account holders banking with CBZ to commit the crimes via the bank’s mobile banking facility.”
Comm Makamure stated that with the fake ID cards, Madzinga, Chome and another suspect Luckmore Matuku would then approach Econet agents mostly in smaller towns across Zimbabwe and do SIM card replacements leading to their victims’ mobile line losing network connectivity.
“It is alleged that once in control of their victims’ ‘new’ Econet line, the suspects would then use them to log into the CBZ mobile banking platform and make withdrawals or other transactions.”
According to Comm Makamure, the syndicate used the money to buy United States Dollars on the streets, bulk groceries and building materials for re-sale and then share the proceeds.
“Investigations are still ongoing amid indications that more pensioners could have been scammed by the syndicate,” he said. Nhau/Indaba
