Court convicts two in rising wave of mobile money scams

Two men have been sentenced to an effective nine months in prison after defrauding a mobile money agent of US$300 using a fake cash-out confirmation message.

Brian Potedzerai (45) and Thulani Dhlamini (30) were convicted of fraud by a Gweru court in connection with the incident, which occurred on 6 November 2025 in the city's central business district.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), the pair approached a mobile money shop and presented what appeared to be a legitimate cash-out confirmation message.

"The offenders approached the victim at a mobile money shop in Gweru CBD and presented a fake cash-out message to the female victim. Believing the message to be genuine, the victim handed over US$300," the NPAZ said.

The fraud was discovered shortly afterwards when the agent, while serving another customer, realised that no funds had reflected. She promptly reported the matter to the police, and the suspects were identified through CCTV footage.

The court initially sentenced the two to 16 months' imprisonment. However, three months were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour, while a further four months were suspended on condition that they restitute the complainant. This left an effective custodial sentence of nine months.

The case highlights growing concerns over mobile money-related fraud, as criminals increasingly exploit fake transaction confirmations and weaknesses in verification systems to target agents and unsuspecting members of the public.

Authorities have urged mobile money operators and customers to thoroughly verify transactions before releasing cash, warning that the rise in digital financial services has been accompanied by an increase in fraud-related offences.