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Gibson Mhaka
A ZIMBABWEAN woman based in the United Kingdom is in the eye of a storm amid accusations of allegedly defrauding several Zimbabweans by falsely promising to secure their entry into the UK through a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS).
COS is issued by a licensed sponsor to migrant workers they intend to hire. This document is essential for those applying for work visas in the UK.
The woman, Priscilla Mtambo, who is enmeshed in a web of allegations of fraud and scamming is wife to popular Bulawayo born rapper cum music producer Titus Marume aka MC Ttytoh who is also based in the UK.
Taking advantage of the desperation of many Zimbabweans willing to leave the country for greener pastures, Mtambo is alleged to have been luring unsuspecting Zimbabweans into paying huge sums of money on the basis that she would process the COS for them.
A trail of complaints was posted on Facebook where she was exposed after allegedly duping two Zimbabweans out of Pounds 9 000 for the same claims.
A source close to one of the victims said she (victim) paid Pounds 9 000 to Mtambo after she promised to secure her entry into the UK through COS only to discover she had been tricked.
“She impersonated a genuine agent, advertising that she could secure Certificates of Sponsorship and facilitate relocation to the UK. Many were lured in by these fake promises, only to discover later they’d been scammed after handing over their money. “Attempts to recover their money proved futile. Some victims have threatened to report her to the British Embassy in Zimbabwe, but it’s important to note that embassies typically don’t handle individual fraud cases. They might, however, be able to offer advice on how to report the crime to the appropriate Zimbabwean authorities,” said the source.
Contacted for comment, Mtambo could neither confirm nor deny the allegations being levelled against her. In response to questions sent via WhatsApp, she called, promising a written response to the allegations against her before blocking this reporter. She had not sent the response by the time of going to print.
Meanwhile a Bulawayo couple was also arrested and appeared in court on allegations of swindling 46 people of more than US$134 500 after they posed as agents of a company involved in facilitating jobs abroad.
Gwendoline Ndlovu (35) and Melusi Ndlovu (36), are facing fraud charges over their operations between August last year and May 3 this year. Investigations have revealed that the pair allegedly took advantage of the high number of people seeking employment opportunities abroad, and told them it would take three weeks upon payment of US$4 000 each. However, police are on record urging members of the public to exercise due diligence before making any payments to individuals and employment agencies purporting to facilitate job placements abroad.
Online Reporter