Police Warn of Surge in Mobile Money Scams

By Kudzaishe Chimonera

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has issued a public alert over a growing wave of mobile money fraud warning that criminals are increasingly targeting users of platforms such as EcoCash.

In a statement, national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said scammers are using fake promotions and bogus loan offers to lure unsuspecting customers into handing over sensitive account details.

“Genuine mobile money platforms will never ask their customers to transfer money to another person’s wallet or bank account for ‘safe keeping’,” he said.

Police say victims are often persuaded to reveal their mobile numbers, personal identification numbers (PINs) and one-time passwords (OTPs) giving criminals direct access to their accounts.

“Scammers are tricking individuals into divulging sensitive information… resulting in unauthorised access to their accounts and potential financial loss,” Commissioner Nyathi warned.

The ZRP said it is working with mobile money providers and other law enforcement agencies to try to curb the fraud.

“We urge the public to only participate in marketing promotions from legitimate, verified mobile money companies’ digital platforms,” he added.

Victims of mobile money scams have been encouraged to report cases to the Police National Complaints Desk or to visit their nearest police station.

The warning comes at a time when mobile money services are becoming ever more central to daily life in the country making millions of users increasingly vulnerable to digital fraud unless they remain vigilant.