Online Reporter
Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
A HARARE woman, who appeared in court this week accused of swindling a prominent eye specialist of nearly US$600 000 in an elaborate cryptocurrency scam that unfolded over two years, has been remanded in custody until July 1.
Melissa Messe Samantha Chiyangwa is being charged with theft and unauthorised use of passwords in connection with the alleged theft of US$583 660 from Dr Solomon Guramatunhu, a renowned ophthalmologist.
The sophisticated scam began in 2020 when Dr Guramatunhu bought cryptocurrency from a United Kingdom-based company while working in India.
Upon returning to Zimbabwe, the eye specialist sought assistance with managing his digital assets.
He enlisted the help of Lloyd Chiyangwa, the accused’s husband, to assist in setting up five digital wallets – Trust Wallet, Exodus, Cosmostation, Wemix and Metamask.
It is alleged that between October 31, 2021 and January 7, 2024, Melissa Chiyangwa, acting in connivance with her husband, unlawfully accessed Dr Guramatunhu’s Metamask wallet and transferred tokens worth US$583 660.24 to a platform known as Waybit Exchange.
The alleged theft came to light on January 27, 2024, when Dr Guramatunhu attempted to move his tokens to another wallet and discovered the funds were missing.
Investigations revealed that the accused used several electronic devices – including an iPhone 14, iPhone 12 Pro, Linux U, Macintosh and an Android phone – to execute the transactions.
Authorities believe she is still transferring tokens to undisclosed destinations using communication devices that are yet to be recovered.
