A 57-year-old man from Bulawayo, Bigboy Leovancey Ncube, has been convicted of fraud after posing as an estate agent and claiming ownership of a $180,000 property using a forged document.
Ncube, a resident of Queens Park suburb, was found guilty by Bulawayo regional magistrate, Ms. Benhilda Chiwundura, and is scheduled for sentencing.
According to prosecutor Ms. Portia Mashashu, Ncube committed the offense in November 2022 by creating a fake agreement of sale, deceiving others into believing he had purchased the property from the actual owner.
This case highlights the importance of verifying authenticity in property transactions to prevent similar fraudulent activities.
“Ncube used a forged agreement of sale to obtain a default judgment for transfer of ownership of property. He went on to misrepresent to the Estate Agents Council of Zimbabwe that he was the owner of the property and wanted assistance in finding a buyer for the property,” she told the court.
“The misrepresentation resulted in the property being advertised on Facebook for sale.”
Ms Mashashu said the victim then saw an advertisement on Facebook to the effect that his house was for sale.
“As the owner of the property being advertised, the victim made a follow up to establish the circumstances surrounding the sale since he had not put the property up for sale,” she said.
