BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
CHIEF Secretary to the Office of the President and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda has warned Zimbabweans to guard against falling prey to unidentified con-artists in South Africa who are fleecing people of their hard-earned cash on the pretext of facilitating transportation of gifts of agricultural implements.
Sibanda said there were individuals and entities of Zimbabwean extraction based in South Africa who have devised a plan to con fellow Zimbabweans through a scam purported to be gifts from the South African government to the people of Zimbabwe supposedly to help local people boost their agricultural activities.
He said the con artists were targeting ministers, deputy ministers, Member of Parliament, faith communities and senior civil servants.
“Unsuspecting individuals are phoned from South Africa by the conmen and to be told that they have been allocated tractors, centre pivots and other farm implements.
“The unsuspecting individuals then request to play a part in meeting the cost of transporting the items to Zimbabwe. The conmen pretend they are the ambassador of Zimbabwe to South Africa,” Sibanda said.
“The amount of money demanded to meet the said cost varied and in one of the audios the fraudster is heard agreeing to a payment of R8 000 whereas in another audio payments of above R20 000 were demanded.”
