Two Arrested For Defrauding Job Seekers Of Over US$40,000
Two suspects, Patricia Muyambo Magazini and Mandras Muyambiwa, have been arrested in Chipinge for defrauding job seekers of over US$40,000 since 2024.
The pair targeted job hunters in places such as Mutare, Harare, Gutu, Zaka, Beitbridge, and Rusape, tricking them with fake job offers.
Posing as recruitment agents for Mashoko Mission Hospital in Bikita, they managed to deceive many before finally being caught.
Inspector Anos Chindanya, the ZRP Chipinge Urban Officer-in-charge, confirmed the arrest to The Manica Post. He said:
A series of reports at the station, from November 2024 to January 2025, highlighted an increase in fraud cases where perpetrators posed as agents offering assistance in securing jobs as nurses or general hands at Mashoko Mission Hospital in Bikita.
Investigators revealed that multiple complainants’ reports listed the same contact numbers, leading to an investigation into the identities of the users.
The police obtained the suspects’ personal information, location, and communication server details through collaboration with a local service provider.
By triangulating the suspects’ location using boosters, the police tracked them down to Masvingo Province, where upon arrival, encountered the hostile husband of one of the suspects, who was reluctant to cooperate.
After re-contacting the service provider, the police managed to track and apprehend Patricia Muyambo Magazini in Nyika’s Duma location the following day. Her co-accused, Mandras Muyambiwa was arrested in Zaka.
The suspects were identified by more than 50 victims. During questioning, they admitted to tricking people by claiming to have connections with the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s recruitment team.
They offered jobs as registered general nurses, drivers, and staff nurses, but were only scamming the job seekers. Said Chindanya:
Magazini confessed to being unemployed and working with Muyambiwa to commit fraud to raise funds for a transportation services start-up. They had set aside US$ 26,000 for this purpose.
An examination of the suspects’ belongings uncovered the SIM cards the complainants had identified as the contact numbers of their swindlers.
Acting Officer Commanding Police in Chipinge District, Superintendent Godfrey Likalawe added:
One of the complainants, despite lacking qualifications, managed to convince several church members to send money to the accused via various platforms, including Mukuru, with the promise that their names would appear in The Herald on January 19, 2025.
The accused claimed technicalities would delay the publication of names until January 25, but when this didn’t happen, the complainants reported the matter to the police.
A total of US$ 40,247 was defrauded from all complainants, and the arrest led to the clearance of 100 reported fraud cases. The suspects were taken to court and were remanded in custody.
One of the victims, Chipo Hlumani from Gaza, Chipinge, shared her experience with one of the two fraudsters. She said:
I lost money after a prophetess from my church was contacted by Muyambo Magazini, who claimed that she wanted to thank her for spiritual guidance by securing jobs for church members at Mashoko Mission Hospital.
I believed Magazini was a registered agent due to the names and proof of payments she provided, as well as stamped documents from the hospital.
I paid US$540 out of the required US$1 400, but when my child was not called for the January intake, I approached Magazini, whose responses seemed untruthful. I reported the matter to ZRP Chipinge.
After this experience, I advise job seekers to be cautious and visit company offices instead of relying on online accreditation copies without official verification.
Superintendent Likalawe warned job seekers to be cautious when looking for work. He advised them not to pay for services that have not been provided, especially to people they don’t know or who use anonymous accounts.
He encouraged them to verify and check job postings on platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook before making any payments.
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