Bulawayo couple defrauds UK job seekers

Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter

A COUPLE from Bulawayo’s Sunninghill suburb has been arrested for defrauding 46 United Kingdom job seekers of US $ 99 751 since August 2022.

ZRP Bulawayo Spokesperson, Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the arrests saying the accused misrepresented themselves as agents of an undisclosed company.

“Police have arrested Gwendoline Ndlovu (35) and Melusi Ndlovu (36) who are husband and wife from Sunnghill in Bulawayo for defrauding over 46 UK job seekers since August 2022

“The accused persons misrepresented themselves as the agents of an undisclosed company which deals in securing jobs, work permits and processing of all travelling document for people who wanted to go and work in Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland,” said Insp Ncube.

He said the accused were approached by 46 complainants around Bulawayo on different dates and they were told to pay US$ 4000 each in order to get the services. He said the complainants got interested and paid fractions of the total amounts charged and payment plans were made since they could not raise the full amounts.

“The complainants were interviewed on different occasions through Whatsapp video and audio calls by a male person who purported to be working with the accused persons and they were told that they had passed.

“They were given periods ranging from two weeks to three weeks from the date of interviews that their processes were going to be ready for them to go to their respective destinies. However, the accused persons failed to deliver till the promised period lapsed,” said Insp Ncube.

He said the accused persons started giving complainants different excuses when they were under pressure and decided to vacate their known office without a notice.

“On 3 May 2023, one of the complainants was informed that the accused persons were vacating their office and ferrying their property from it. She quickly went there and found them loading the property into the car. She phoned the police leading to their arrest.

“Police Commercial Crimes Division then carried intensive investigations leading to the number of victims swelling to 46. The total value defrauded is US$ 99 751 and nothing was recovered,” said Ins Ncube.

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