By Takudziridzwa Nyama
Stanford Tapiwa Marongwe (21) from Gweru, has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for mobile money fraud. Marongwe’s scheme involved deceiving cashiers into handing over large sums of money by creating a fake text messages indicating successful transactions. Marongwe was sentenced and convicted by Gweru Magistrate Court.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPAZ), reports circumstances as follows, Marongwe went to the mobile money outlet, where the complainant is a cashier, intending to make a cash out of USD450. He requested a calculator from the complainant and he was given the complainant’s cellphone.
He saved his phone number with a contact name +263164USD in the complainant’s cellphone and sent a “please call me” message to his number and gave the complainant’s cellphone back. He created a text message purporting that he had made a cash out of USD450-00 and sent the text message to the complainant’s mobile number.
The complainant, acting upon the accused person’s misrepresention, gave the accused person USD450 and the accused person left the shop. The complainant discovered the offence while reconciling the books later that evening.
Marongwe defrauded two more complainants of USD850 and USD1000 respectively, using the same method.