Online Reporter
Moreblessing Ncube
A MAKOKOBA man who tricked his friend out of his prized iPhone 11 with a fake upgrade scam has been convicted in Bulawayo.
Tatendaishe Muparutsa (23) pulled off the stunt on 16 September, luring his buddy Charlington Siamalonga with promises of an iPhone 14 swap.
Appearing before Bulawayo magistrate Maxwell Ncube, Muparutsa was fined US$150 and handed a three-month suspended sentence on condition he pays back US$260 restitution.
Prosecutor Mehluli Ndlovu told the court that Muparutsa pitched up at Siamalonga’s home in Kusile Flats early in the morning and dangled the “deal of a lifetime.” He convinced his friend that a shiny iPhone 14 was waiting if he handed over his iPhone 11.
The pair walked to Zenzeleni Butchery, where Muparutsa grabbed the phone and vanished inside. Minutes later he reappeared with another man, claiming to be finalising the trade, before disappearing into thin air.
Siamalonga was left stranded outside the butchery without his gadget. Ten days later he tracked Muparutsa down at his home but still failed to recover the stolen phone.
The iPhone remains missing, but Muparutsa’s scam has earned him a criminal record and a hefty debt to his betrayed friend.
Bongani Ndlovu