Harare – Deputy Defence Minister, retired Brigadier-General Levi Mayihlome, has become the latest victim of an online get-rich-quick scheme, losing US$850 in the process. The 71-year-old minister was reportedly duped after responding to a Facebook advertisement promising substantial returns from “online cash trading”, Zimlive has reported.
The incident highlights the increasing prevalence of online scams targeting even high-profile individuals.
The scam began with a Facebook advert placed by an individual identifying themselves as Zodwa Mkandla. It appears as if the scammers impersonated prominent socialite and businesswoman Zodwa Mkandla who was reportedly the late Genius Ginimbi Kadungure’s wife until 2017 when the couple broke up.
Minister Mayihlome, believing this to be his socialite friend of the same name, responded to the advert. The advert promised a remarkable return on investment; an initial investment of just US$200 would purportedly multiply to US$5,000.
Intrigued by the prospect of quick riches, Minister Mayihlome made his initial investment of US$200. He transferred the funds via an Innbucks outlet in Borrowdale to a mobile phone number provided in the advertisement – 0776096070 – registered to one Gilbert Makombe.
According to a police report seen by ZimLive, the scammers then informed Minister Mayihlome that his initial investment had yielded a profit of US$5,300. However, to access these supposed profits, they demanded a further deposit of US$650.
Responding to this request, Minister Mayihlome made additional payments, transferring US$500 and US$150. However, these subsequent payments were sent to a different mobile number – 0777684129 – registered to one Austine Tafirei. This suggests a sophisticated operation with multiple individuals involved in the fraudulent scheme.
The scammers’ demands continued, with a further US$365 requested for what they described as “inland tax revenue.” It was at this point that Minister Mayihlome became suspicious and realised he had been the victim of a scam. He subsequently reported the incident to the police.
Avondale police are currently investigating the matter, attempting to trace the individuals behind the fraudulent scheme and recover the stolen funds.
