Staff Reporter
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) is investigating a series of fraud cases involving a suspect only identified as Mageza, who allegedly misrepresented himself as a Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) official responsible for disposing of forfeited vehicles to the state.
The fraudulent activities, which date back to July 2024, have raised alarm as Mageza is accused of tricking several individuals, including a businessman from Zhombe, Honest Mahleka, into making significant financial payments under false pretenses.
In one case, Mageza approached Mahleka, claiming to be in charge of selling off forfeited vehicles, including a Toyota Hiace and a Nissan AD Van, at a total cost of $8,500 USD.
Midlands Police Spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko said he convinced Mahleka to deposit money into multiple Ecocash accounts.
“US$2,000 was deposited into Sharon Rabson’s Ecocash account number 0780 816 279 whilst US$2,000 into Ecocash account number 0780 646 367 another US$2,000 USD into Pawlyn Chuma’s Ecocash account number 0777 913 854. Another US$1,000 was deposited into Tyson Kufara’s Ecocash account number 0784 860 146 and US$1,000 into Tabeth Cingwe’s Ecocash account number 0775 476 564.
After the transactions were completed, Mageza reportedly became unreachable, leaving Mahleka without the vehicles or any recourse to recover his funds,” he said.
The police are appealing to the public for any information that may assist in the arrest of Mageza, who is believed to have carried out similar fraudulent transactions with other victims. Inspector Mahoko urged people to be cautious and conduct thorough background checks before engaging in financial transactions, particularly when dealing with individuals offering goods or services under dubious circumstances.
As investigations continue, the police have assured the public that they are actively working on apprehending the suspect and bringing him to justice. They encourage anyone who may have fallen victim to similar scams to come forward and report the incidents to authorities.
