A man is on the run after defrauding scores of civil servants of more than $1 million in undelivered household and electrical goods. Munyara...
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A man is on the run after defrauding scores of civil servants of more than $1 million in undelivered household and electrical goods.
Munyaradzi Mundingi (38) from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, was allegedly targeting civil servants via WhatsApp groups claiming he owned a company that supplied goods on credit.Bulawayo police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said it later turned out that the company did not exist.
“The accused person is the owner of a bogus company named Pro-Plus Africa Investments which is currently operating as a credit facility company offering credit facilities to unsuspecting people in and around Zimbabwe.
“On numerous occasions the accused person would approach his victims where he would offer them credit facilities to purchase electrical gadgets and household implements like solar panels, inverters and batteries among other things,” said Asst Insp Msebele.
“The accused would also fish his victims via a WhatsApp platform called News Report 789 where he would post advertisements of the so-called products he purported to be offering on credit and the terms and conditions for one to qualify to benefit from the credit facility.”
She said Mundingi would process documentation and ensure that the civil servants salaries were deducted to his account by the Salary Service Bureau (SSB). Asst Insp Msebele said the victims only discovered that they had been duped when their products were not delivered.
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Thereafter, the victims would wait for their goods which would be according to the terms and conditions supposed to be delivered soon after the first instalment having been deducted but the accused would never deliver the goods,” said Insp Msebele.
“As a result of this cunning and fraudulent act, the accused has swindled more than 100 victims of their hard earned cash worth millions of Zimbabwean dollars.
“On discovering that they had been duped by this accused person, many victims have since filed reports with the police.
“Investigations have been carried out by the police only to discover that this company called Pro-Plus is non-existent in the companies registry records however, it is operating as a shadow company of Red Sphere which is duly registered.”
“Investigations have been carried out by the police only to discover that this company called Pro-Plus is non-existent in the companies registry records however, it is operating as a shadow company of Red Sphere which is duly registered.”
Speaking to NewZimbabwe.com Business Wednesday, World Bank Zimbabwe communications officer, Cheryl Khupe said the scammers have opened several websites and online platforms where they are encouraging SMEs to take up the purported loans on offer.
“We are not yet sure if these scammers are Zimbabweans or foreigners and currently nobody has come up to report details on falling prey to these activities,” she said.
One of the fake Facebook pages created impersonates Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube stating: “World Bank frustrated at low uptake of Covid-19 fund: The World Bank has complained of a low number of Zimbabwe businesses applying for the Covid-19 fund which was approved all the way in May,” reads the message in part.
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