Ministers, top officials targeted in high profile fraud scheme

Harare, (New Ziana) – The Zimbabwean government on Monday warned citizens to be wary of fraudsters based in South Africa who are attempting to dupe locals pretending to be facilitating an agricultural implements scheme between the governments of the two countries.

Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda said the scheme was non-existent as there was no such agreement between the two countries.

The scammers had so far targeted government ministers and other top officials, and were widening their net to the religious community.

“Unsuspecting individuals are phoned from South Africa by the conmen to be told that they have been allocated tractors, centre pivots and other farm implements,” Dr Sibanda said.

“The unsuspecting individuals are then requested to play a part in meeting the cost of transporting the equipment.”

Dr Sibanda said the fraudsters would request individuals to send amounts ranging between R8 000 and R20 000 to certain bank accounts to facilitate movement of the said equipment.

The bank accounts had since been given to law enforcement agents to trace the people, who at times pretended to be Zimbabwean ambassador to South Africa, David Hamadziripi.

“We urge all nationals to exercise extreme caution when dealing with supposed offers of this nature,” Dr Sibanda said.
New Ziana