Deputy Defence Minister Levi Mayihlome, a 71-year-old retired brigadier general, fell victim to an online scam, losing a whopping $850.
According to Zimlive, the scam started with a Facebook ad promising easy money through “online cash trading” by someone claiming to be Zodwa Mkandla. Mayihlome thought it was his friend with the same name, but boy was he wrong!
The scammers convinced him to invest $200, promising a 25-fold return. He made the initial transfer to a mobile number registered to Gilbert Makombe.
Later, they told him he’d made a profit of $5,300, but to withdraw it, he needed to deposit another $650. Mayihlome made two more payments, $500 and $150, to a different number registered to Austine Tafirei.
It wasn’t until the scammers asked for another $365, claiming it was for “inland tax revenue,” that Mayihlome realised he’d been duped.
Avondale police are now investigating the case. This story serves as a cautionary tale about online scams. Always be wary of get-rich-quick schemes and verify identities before making transactions.
