Source: Fake RTGS transfer costs food outlet $4 300 | The Herald April 10, 2019
Crime Reporter
A food outlet at Machipisa Shopping Centre in Harare lost food and drinks worth over $4 300 last month to two conmen who duped the employees into believing that they had made an RTGS payment at a local bank.National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident and said investigations were still in progress.
“Two unknown male adults entered the food outlet and ordered food. The duo produced an RTGS payment of food in the form of a receipt which was made at a local bank.
“The suspects then obtained 1 080 x 500ml Pepsi drinks and 130 dinner box chips all valued at RTGS $4 389. The anomaly, which showed that the RTGS payment was fake was discovered by the outlet’s head office when following up the payment on 6 April 2019,” he said.
No arrests have since been made.
Asst Comm Nyathi urged business operators to verify transactions before releasing goods as they risk being duped.
He said they were appealing for information that will lead to the arrest of the suspects to contact any nearest police station or the National Complaints Desk on (0242) 703631.
In April last year, the Zimbabwe Republic Police arrested three suspected fraudsters on allegations of creating fictitious EcoCash messages, which they used as proof of payment for various goods.
A group of criminals was targeting supermarkets, service stations and various businesses using the same method.
The criminals created fictitious messages to convince the targeted victims to believe that they had sent money via EcoCash to their merchant code numbers.
Following the increase in such cases, the Criminal Investigations Department has so far arrested three suspects — Prince Chiwodza (24), Sungano Musoni (42) and Bernard Mutema (42) — all of Glen View 8 in Harare who are still appearing in court.
Meanwhile, a man from Murove Village in Chinamhora appeared in court yesterday for allegedly abusing his wife and attempting to murder his two kids by throwing them into a well, writes Geraldine Zaranyika.
Webster Ketayamaoko (25) appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Barbra Mateko charged with physical abuse and attempted murder.
He was remanded in custody to April 23.
The court heard that on March 7 Ketayamaoko returned home at around 11pm while drunk and grabbed his wife, Sibongile Masangudze’s neck and assaulted her with fists on the head until she became unconscious.
When Masangudze collapsed to the ground Ketayamaoko thought she was dead.
Panicking, he took his two kids —Tanatswa and Taitus — and threw them into a well before jumping in himself.
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