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Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
A Mabvuku woman has appeared in court facing extortion charges after setting up a fictitious relationship for her nephew and scamming him of US$37 000.
Simakuhle Ncube (35) appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Patricia Kamwanda.
She was granted US$100 bail.
Ncube will return to court on October 11.
The State said between October 24 last year and August 26 this year, Ncube defrauded her nephew Culverwell Tawanda Venge.
She created fictitious characters Tarisai Mlambo, Portia Mlambo and Brian Mususa.
Ncube shared Tarisai’s contact details with Venge on the pretext that Tarisai needed some tutoring since she was studying for an accounting degree.
Venge started chatting with ‘Tarisai’ exclusively on WhatsApp, and she began flirting with him.
Later on, Mususa, Tarisai’s supposed husband saw the messages and contacted Venge to confront him over the issue.
Mususa demanded compensation.
All the communication with the said characters was through WhatsApp.
Ncube contacted Venge over the issue and she made him believe that Mlambo, Tarisai’s mother, was married to a powerful man who could make him disappear.
As a result, Venge paid US$2 500 through Ncube.
After one week, Mususa allegedly demanded another US$$10 000. Ncube also made demands for more money.
Venge never met all the said characters as Ncube would block his attempts to do so and convinced him to pay through her.
As a result, Venge lost US$$37 020 and nothing has been recovered.
The matter came to light when Venge learnt that Mlambo, Tarisai and Mususa’s alleged pictures were for some people in Bulawayo.
He reported the matter to the police.
Ncube was arrested on September 17 at her house in Mabvuku.
Online Reporter