Two suspects, Patricia Muyambo Magazini and Mandras Muyambiwa, have been arrested in Chipinge for defrauding job seekers of over US$40,000 since 2024.
The pair targeted job hunters in places such as Mutare, Harare, Gutu, Zaka, Beitbridge, and Rusape, tricking them with fake job offers.
Two suspects, Patricia Muyambo Magazini and Mandras Muyambiwa, have been arrested in Chipinge for defrauding job seekers of over US$40,000 since 2024.
The pair targeted job hunters in places such as Mutare, Harare, Gutu, Zaka, Beitbridge, and Rusape, tricking them with fake job offers.
Posing as recruitment agents for Mashoko Mission Hospital in Bikita, they managed to deceive many before finally being caught.
Inspector Anos Chindanya, the ZRP Chipinge Urban Officer-in-charge, confirmed the arrest to The Manica Post. He said:A series of reports at the station, from November 2024 to January 2025, highlighted an increase in fraud cases where perpetrators posed as agents offering assistance in securing jobs as nurses or general hands at Mashoko Mission Hospital in Bikita.Investigators revealed that multiple complainants’ reports listed the same contact numbers, leading to an investigation into the identities of the users.
The police obtained the suspects’ personal information, location, and communication server details through collaboration with a local service provider.
By triangulating the suspects’ location using boosters, the police tracked them down to Masvingo Province, where uponAfter re-contacting the service provider, the police managed to track and apprehend Patricia Muyambo Magazini in Nyika’s Duma location the following day. Her co-accused, Mandras Muyambiwa was arrested in Zaka.
The suspects were identified by more than 50 victims. During questioning, they admitted to tricking people by claiming to have connections with the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s recruitment team.
They offered jobs as registered general nurses, drivers, and staff nurses, but were only scamming the job seekers. Said Chindanya:
Magazini confessed to being unemployed and working with Muyambiwa to commit fraud to raise funds for a transportation services start-up. They had set aside US$ 26,000 for this purpose.
An examination of the suspects’ belongings uncovered the SIM cards the complainants had identified as the contact numbers of their swindlers.
Acting Officer Commanding Police in Chipinge District, Superintendent Godfrey Likalawe added:
