Zvikomborero Parafini
IT must be one of the most elaborate and sophisticated extortion schemes — a number of fake characters, created by the suspected mastermind, fake adultery charges, fake illnesses, a fake trip to India for treatment and the fake death of a couple which never existed.
In all this scheming, a Harare businessman lost over US$37 000.
What even makes it worse is that he was allegedly being conned by his aunt in a bizarre online relationship, full of twists and turns, in which he kept pumping out the money.
The aunt, Simakuhle Ncube, allegedly created fake characters in this sophisticated scheme.
Similar to Netflix’s famous crime thriller ‘Tinder Swindler’, Ncube, connected with Culverwell Tawanda Venge, online.
Ncube was aware of Venge’s financial status because her husband is the businessman’s uncle.
Yesterday, Ncube appeared in court.
According to prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi, between October last year and this August, Ncube came up with a plan to extort Venge.
She created fictitious characters — Tarisai Mlambo, Brian Mususa, Portia and Mrs Mlambo. Ncube allegedly gave Venge Tarisai’s contact details and claimed she was in need of accounting lessons because she was studying towards an accounting degree.
Venge spoke to this fake Tarisai character on WhatsApp exclusively and she began flirting with him, initiating a love relationship.
Later on, Brian Mususa, who was said to be Tarisai’s husband, saw the love messages.
He allegedly contacted Ncube, seemingly angry at his wife, and demanded compensation from Venge.
Ncube then contacted Venge, advising him of the situation and in the discussion which followed, Venge was pressured into believing that Mrs Mlambo was married to a powerful Central Intelligence Organisation officer.
He was told that if he refused to pay “he would be made to disappear.”
Ncube was given US$2 500 on November 4 last year.
One week later, the Mususa character was allegedly angry, demanding US$10 000 as compensation from Venge, for ‘dating his wife Tarisai’.
As days moved on, Ncube advised Venge that Tarisai was suffering from hypertension arising from stress of being caught by her husband dating him.
As such, she was said to be admitted at Baines Clinic in Harare and Venge was asked to foot the hospital bills.
Further payments were made to Ncube.
Tarisai was later said to be in need of an operation at Baines Clinic and Venge was ordered to foot the bill.
He did that until the fake Tarisai was referred to India for further medical treatment and procedures.
At one stage, Venge insisted on visiting Tarisai but Ncube would block the move by giving various reasons.
Later on Venge, was advised that Tarisai passed away in India and was asked to foot the bills for the repatriation of the body to Zimbabwe for burial.
Venge was further advised Tarisai’s husband later committed suicide and that his relatives wanted to seek revenge from him unless a payment was made as compensation.
Venge allegedly never got a chance to meet the said characters and Ncube was the only person he saw negotiating and receiving money on their behalf.
It is the State’s allegation that as a result of the illegitimate pressure exerted on him, Venge lost US$37 020.
The matter came to light when Venge stumbled upon some pictures of the people he was shown to be that of Mrs Mlambo, Tarisai Mlambo and Brian Mususa and realised that the pictures were of some people in Bulawayo prompting him to file a police report.