Woman jailed for forging title deed in US$40,000 stand scam

Betty Makura (46), already serving a prison sentence for fraud, has been handed an additional three years behind bars after being convicted of forging a title deed to sell a non-existent residential stand. Harare magistrate Rufaro Panavanhu found Makura guilty of fraud after she posed as the property owner and duped a buyer out of US$40,000.

Prosecutor Boniface Musvaire told the court that in August 2019, Makura advertised a residential stand for sale in Greendale Township, Harare, using a classified ad in The Herald and claiming to sell it through Heaven and Earth Real Estate. Mr. Matina Mafara, a managing director of Mattsfeeds Private Limited who was working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, saw the advertisement and expressed interest in purchasing the property.

Mafara enlisted the help of his agent, Revai Hamadziripi, to facilitate the transaction. The two met with Makura, who presented herself as "Cathrine Munyawiri," the supposed owner of Lot Number 164 Greendale Township. In December 2019, Mafara paid Makura a total of US$40,000 to secure the stand.

In January 2020, Hamadziripi discovered that the title deed Makura provided was fraudulent, leaving Mafara without the property and unable to recover his funds. Following her conviction, Makura was sentenced to an additional three years, extending her jail term for her deceptive schemes.

The case highlights a cautionary tale for potential property buyers, with authorities urging thorough verification processes to prevent falling victim to similar scams.