Chiyangwa locked up over US$583 660 cryptocurrency fraud

A Harare woman, Melissa Messe Samantha Chiyangwa, appeared in court this week charged with swindling a prominent eye specialist of nearly US$600,000 in a complex cryptocurrency scam spanning over two years. She has been remanded in custody until July 1.

Chiyangwa faces charges of theft and unauthorised use of passwords in connection with the alleged misappropriation of US$583,660 from Dr Solomon Guramatunhu, a renowned ophthalmologist.

The sophisticated fraud reportedly began in 2020, when Dr Guramatunhu purchased cryptocurrency from a UK-based company while working in India. Upon returning to Zimbabwe, he sought assistance in managing his digital assets.

Dr Guramatunhu enlisted the help of Lloyd Chiyangwa, the accused's husband, who assisted in setting up five digital wallets-Trust Wallet, Exodus, Cosmostation, Wemix, and Metamask.

Between October 31, 2021, and January 7, 2024, Melissa Chiyangwa, allegedly acting in collusion with her husband, unlawfully accessed Dr Guramatunhu's Metamask wallet. Prosecutors say she transferred tokens valued at US$583,660.24 to a platform known as Waybit Exchange.

The theft came to light on January 27, 2024, when Dr Guramatunhu attempted to move his tokens to another wallet only to discover the funds were missing.

Investigations have revealed that the accused used multiple electronic devices-including an iPhone 14, iPhone 12 Pro, Linux U, Macintosh, and an Android phone-to carry out the illicit transactions.

Authorities believe Melissa Chiyangwa may still be transferring tokens to undisclosed destinations using communication devices that have yet to be recovered.

The case remains under investigation as law enforcement works to trace the missing assets and uncover the full extent of the alleged cryptocurrency fraud.