Online Reporter
Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
A HARARE couple, believed to have committed fraud cases across the country and whose modus operandi was obtaining victims’ personal information through phishing schemes and data breaches to access public records, has appeared in court.
Tranos Taurai Muzanenhamo, his wife Rumbidzai Tsongora (24) and their relative Bradley Shangwa (26) were initially charged with possession of articles for criminal use when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Arwell Sanyatwe.
The three was remanded in custody to tomorrow for full bail application.
On the charge of possession of articles for criminal use, it is the State’s case that on October 31 2025, police received information that the three accused persons were travelling from Bulawayo to Harare in a navy-blue Mark X with registration numbers AEM 8270.
Detectives from CID Gweru proceeded to Gweru tollgate on surveillance, intending to intercept and arrest the accused persons.
The court heard that the trio was intercepted by detectives who then approached them, intending to effect an arrest, but Muzanenhamo, who was driving the vehicle, reversed at high speed and they managed to evade arrest.
It is alleged that the detectives tracked and arrested the trio at Lilano Lodge in Shurugwi.
They searched their vehicle and recovered a pair of handcuffs, a fake national identity document, multiple SIM cards, bank cards, cellphones and a Starlink device.
These gadgets were being used to commit criminal cases, including registering a cellphone line number 0780 999 508 on October 30, 2025, using a fake National Identification card that was recovered.
On the charge of fraud, allegations are that sometime in September 2025, Muzanenhamo and his wife Tsongora got information to the effect that complainant Rumbidzal Mandibatsira had deposited money in her FBC account.
On October 10 2025, the couple acting in connivance decided to defraud the complainant. Pursuant to their plan, they applied for FBC MasterCard online and submitted the application authored by Muzanenhamo bearing a photo of Tsongora with Mutamiri Future’s information and they managed to obtain the FBC MasterCard number 533303800317160.
Armed with Mastercard, the couple replaced the complainant’s Econet line 0778 029 455, which was linked to her FBC account and they transferred US$1 520 into their fraudulently obtained FBC MasterCard number 533303800317160.
Due to the accused’s actions, the complainant suffered an actual prejudice of US$1 520 and nothing was recovered.
