Gerald Sibanda, a notorious con artist based in Bulawayo, has been apprehended by the authorities after years of being on the run.
Sibanda allegedly lured over 80 unsuspecting individuals into renting non-existent properties, leaving them without housing and out of pocket.
His fraudulent operation, which involved duping potential tenants by posing as a legitimate rental agent, has left many v!ctims reeling from financial losses and uncertainty.
Gerald Sibanda’s reign of deceit and deception came to an end on Tuesday when a brilliant trap was set in James Court, Bulawayo central.
The joint effort involving some of his v!ctims, real estate agents, and the police finally cornered the con artist, bringing his long-standing fraudulent activities to a halt.
He faces several counts of fraud.
While on the loose, Sibanda would win his unsuspecting targets’ trust by telling them he was a pastor and a magistrate.
He was caught after placing an advert offering a house to let.
Some of his v!ctims, joined hands with police to pretend they were potential clients interested in occupying the house.
Police finally cornered him when he visited the advertised house to meet a decoy client.
Sibanda’s v!ctims had formed a WhatsApp group comprising of 80 members to try and keep up with information concerning his whereabouts.
As he stood before Magistrate Maxwell Ncube in a Bulawayo courtroom , Sibanda admitted guilt to some of the charges.
However, he was granted bail, set at a sum of US$200, and will return to court on April 25, 2024, to face the remainder of his charges.
Most of the houses were under renovation.
He would lie to some of his v!ctims that the properties’ owners lived abroad and the houses were left under caretakers.
Working in cahoots with some caretakers and contractors who were on site in such houses, Sibanda would pretend to be the owner of the properties.
He would then offer to rent out the same premises to countless people taking deposits and in some cases, full rentals.
A v!ctim of Sibanda’s scam, who chose to speak to source, revealed that she was defrauded of US$1,200 .
While Sibanda has been charged with some of his crimes, the ongoing investigation has yet to uncover the full extent of his fraudulent activities.
SOURCE : ZIMLIVE
