Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Post Reporter
A DEFIANT Harare woman was recently jailed for fraud and theft of US$11 000 by presenting an edited EcoCash transaction to withdraw cash and stealing EcoCash agent lines before withdrawing the money.
The agent lines were stolen from TelOne and an Ecocash agent.
Nyasha Charumbira (29), of Tynwald South, Harare, appeared before Rusape provincial magistrate, Mr Tendai Mahwe, facing one count of defrauding TelOne Rusape of US$800 after sending an edited Ecocash cash-out message.
Charumbira also faced one count of stealing an agent line from the same TelOne cashier, and went on to withdraw US$501, before continuing with the same modus operandi to steal an agent line from an Ecocash agent, and went on to withdraw US$10 175.
Charumbira committed the criminal offences between February and December 2025, and was arrested in April 2026 in Ngundu, Masvingo, while committing similar offences.
Charumbira appeared in court recently, and pleaded guilty to all the charges.
Mr Mahwe sentenced her to 24 months in prison, before suspending six months on condition of good behaviour.
Six more months were set aside on condition that she restitutes TelOne US$1 301, while eight months were also suspended on condition that she restitutes US$10 175 to Ms Ruvarashe Jemina Munangu.
Mr Mahwe did not give Charumbira an extended time to pay, and ordered her to repay the money forthwith, for which she did not have the money, and was immediately committed to prison.
Prosecutor, Ms Faith Mutukwa said Charumbira sent an edited Ecocash cash-out message, and TelOne billing and receiving clerk, Idaivamwe Mawondo did not notice that it was fake, and went on to give her US$800.
“On February 24, 2025 at around 1pm, Charumbira went to TelOne offices, Rusape, where she approached the parastatal’s billing and receiving clerk. Charumbira did six cash-in transactions with a maximum of US$10 in two different Econet lines, and she managed to see the agent line PIN number. During the transactions, Mawondo gave Charumbira the transacting cellphone to verify if the transactions were successful. During this interaction, Charumbira sent a ‘please call me’ message to her cellphone, and got the agent line number. Charumbira told Mawondo that she would want to do a cash-out when her mother sent the money and she left.
“After a while, Charumbira returned to Mawondo, and edited an Ecocash transaction message with an amount of US$800, which she sent into the agent line. Mawondo did not notice that the message did not have an Ecocash code +23164, and gave Charumbira the cash. Mawondo later noted that the transacting phone declined to process any transactions, citing network problems, and went to Econet. On March 10, 2025, the offence was discovered after the transaction history was obtained from Econet and a police report was made. The value stolen is US$800 and nothing was recovered,” said Ms Mutukwa.
The court heard that Charumbira was given the TelOne transacting cellphone after claiming that she wanted to verify if the transactions were successful.
She removed the agent line when Mawondo was not noticing and withdrew US$501 from the line.
“During the transactions, Mawondo gave Charumbira the transacting cellphone since she had claimed that she wanted to see if the transactions were successful. Charumbira took advantage of Mawondo being busy, and stole the agent line from the transacting cellphone and went away. Charumbira went into Rusape Central Business District where she approached Irene Shundure – a vendor, and told her that she wanted to receive cash through Ecocash from her mother, but did not have a national identity card, hence she wanted her help to get the money.
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“Shundure gave Charumbira her Ecocash number. Charumbira transferred US$492 from the TelOne agent line to Shundure’s Econet line 0771797785. Shundure withdrew the cash and gave Charumbira. On March 10, 2025, Mawondo discovered that the transacting phone was declining to process any transactions, citing network problems, and went to Econet where a transaction history was obtained. The value stolen is US$501 and nothing was recovered,” said Ms Mutukwa.
Ms Mutukwa said Charumbira approached Ruvarashe Jemina Munangu, who runs an EcoCash shop, and requested the transacting phone.
She immediately removed the agent line unnoticed and cashed out US$10 175.
“On December 8, 2025, at around 1pm, Charumbira went to an Ecocash shop along Robert Mugabe Road, Rusape, where she approached Ruvarashe Jemina Munangu, advising that she wanted to do an Ecocash transaction. Charumbira was given the phone and swiftly removed the line. She returned it before leaving with the agent line. Charumbira swiftly withdrew US$5 000 and US$2 000 through Ecocash lines 0782732690 and 0775821274 respectively.
“Charumbira went to Vengere Bus Terminus where she approached Oripa Mvenge – a vendor and requested to use her Ecocash account to receive some money. Mvenge agreed and the accused transferred US$3 000 into Ecocash number 0775253055 and withdrew it. Charumbira sent US$400 into her Innbucks account 0777737819, before returning the phone to Oripa Mvenge and she went away.
“On December 9, 2025, the complainant noted that the transacting phone declined to process any transactions, citing network problems, and went to Econet. The offence was discovered after the transaction history was obtained from Econet and a police report was made. On April 15, 2026, Charumbira was arrested in Ngundu, Masvingo, while committing a similar offence. The value of potential prejudice is US$10 175 and nothing was recovered,” said Ms Mutukwa.
