The Herald
Roselyne Sachiti Features, Health & Society Editor
While some criminals are still using yesteryear tricks to scam unsuspecting people, others are using social media, and the Internet to con would be job-seekers. Of late, people have been complaining that they have been duped online by fraudsters placing job adverts through social media. Corporates are also falling victim to these scams as fraudsters are using their names to fleece unsuspecting job seekers.
Not so many years ago, downtown Harare was a fraudsters playground.
Here, neatly dressed men waylaid their victims through a scam that became known as “chabata” and another where job seekers are duped in broad daylight.
Here, hundreds fell victim to the two scams which operated in a manner that left one victim heartbroken.
Mrs Mercy Kamba (44) of Budiriro had just withdrawn US$300 from an automated teller machine at a bank in Harare’s central business district (CBD) when she decided to buy her son’s school uniforms in December 2014.
“I walked towards Leopold Takawira and Robert Mugabe streets looking for good bargains when two immaculately dressed and well clean-men approached me asking if I was interested in a job that would pay me US$25 per hour,” she said.
“They said the job was to offload lots of new items that had just been delivered at a school uniforms shop and they needed my services for just three hours.”
Working for three hours at a rate of US$25 per hour meant she would earn US$75, and she took the offer hook line and sinker.
According to Mrs Kamba, the two men led her to an alley where some other two males and a woman were.
“They told me to wait with the other people they claimed had also gotten the job, we stood there for a few minutes then another third bald-headed man they said was a manager of the shop came with them,” she said.
“He gave us aprons and told us to surrender all our bags and cash, if we had any, for security reasons as they also dealt with a lot of cash in the shop. He told us to follow him and we complied.”
The bald-headed man led them to a shop and told them to stand outside as he would call them inside once he sorted paperwork they would sign.
Minutes then hours passed as Mrs Kamba, the two men and the other woman stood at the shop entrance waiting to be called inside.
The bald-headed man never came back.
“An Indian lady who owned the shop asked us why we were standing at the entrance peeping inside,” Mrs Kamba further recalled. “We told her we were waiting for her manager who had offered us temporary offloading jobs. She told us nothing like that existed.”
The Indian woman told them that the bald-headed man they described came into the shop as a customer, bought a set of girls’ school uniforms and started groaning, saying he had an upset stomach and diarrhoea then begged to use the toilet.
“She said since he was a customer, they allowed him to use the toilet and never saw how he left as she was busy with other customers. We later discovered that he left the shop through a back door near the toilet. We never saw him again. The four of us had been duped. His two accomplices who first had contact with us had also disappeared.”
To this day, Mrs Kamba does not tolerate anyone who offers her a job on the streets.
While some criminals are still using yesteryear tricks to scam unsuspecting people, others are using social media, and the internet to con would be job seekers.
Of late, people have been complaining that they have been duped online by fraudsters placing job adverts through social media. Corporates are also falling victim to these scams as fraudsters are using their names to fleece unsuspecting job seekers.
For example, on Thursday Nyaradzo Group placed an advert in The Herald which warned people against a job opportunity that has been circulating on social media.
The advert read: “There have been misleading messages doing rounds on social media, which are typically offering employment, asking for payment for the same or suggesting business partnerships with Nyaradzo Group.
“We would like to disassociate ourselves, the group CEO, Mr Philip Mataranyika, management and staff from such falsehoods.
“Members of the public are thereby advised that these statements have not originated from Nyaradzo Group or that originating or circulating such falsehoods is a crime of defamatory impersonation. Nyaradzo Group would like to advise the impersonators that they risk facing legal charges and the resultant consequences,” the advert read.
Last week, another fraudsters alert message made the rounds on social media.
It read: “Fraudsters Alert. We received a message, this message.
“Hello Bruce. Can you urgently call Mr Mlotshwa~0718545162 or 0781322652, the Procurement Manager of RAIN FOREST PROPERTIES, SAFARI LODGES & GAME PARKS. We would like you to do, paving 6 480sqm and a brickwall 975 metres labour only, at our newly built Lodge. Regards P.Shoko~Secretary
“Somehow these people knew the exact jargon used in the construction industry and after returning the call they asked for a labour quotation in which we send.
“Days later, one who called himself Mlotshwa reached back informing that our quote has been approved now what’s needed was to come to Vic Falls for formal paper work and payments of the initial deposit to kick-start the project.
“He told us the project was of urgency and needed to be completed as soon as possible. He requested that possibly we travel by air and reimbursements to be done by the company onsite (most clients do that at first). They advised us to use a travel agency linked to their company as they usually host tourists.
“LIMPOPO TRAVEL & TOURS, Landlines 0240~5763255878, CELL 0716083352, 0778881413
“Above are the contacts of the so called travel agency. Upon calling they sounded like a travel agency for sure. And they said a going and returning ticket costs $44 000 RTGS per person, yet the Mlotshwa person had requested for at least 3 company reps.
“We had to downsize to two reps meaning we had to send $88 000. After the payment was done we requested for the ticket and they told us they are waiting for the airline. 10 minutes latter they called back to say we couldn’t get the ticket as the economy class had been fully booked and they asked for a top up to get business class, of which top up was $11 500 per person.
“We had to call Mlotshwa to give him the latest information. He then said the company needed the job done and yes they approved for us to get the business class ticket. Just after sending the $23 000, that was the last time we spoke. Both the so-called travel agency and Mlotshwa vanished.
“To all other companies out there please be advised of this fraud scheme and never fall prey to these criminals. If any company really need your services please ask them to send tickets for you.
“We wanted the job badly and it clouded our judgement. And we never thought that such could be done in the construction industry.
“However, we learnt the hard way. I urge you all not to be fooled like we did.
“I’m very confident that these guys are also in these groups. But in whatever way please don’t fall again for these people. Hope you will all learn from our mistake. Bsquare Construction Pvt Ltd.”
Some fraudsters are even daring to offer people jobs outside Zimbabwe for a fee, with hundreds having been duped of their hard earned cash.
What also makes it easy for them to dupe people is that the money is deposited into bank accounts they open instantly online sometimes using stolen identities.
Tracing them is usually difficult.
