A court in Harare heard a shocking case of fraud involving Annah Nyaude (63) and Wesley Nyaude (37) who allegedly duped a fellow businesswoman out of US$12,800 with promises of ‘cleaning’ dirty US dollars. The accused appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi and were charged with fraud, subsequently remanded in custody pending their bail application set for Monday.
The complainant, a businesswoman from Old Mabvuku, Harare, was lured into the scam in August last year when the Nyaudes approached her, claiming they needed US$4,000 to purchase chemicals for cleaning their dirty money. They falsely represented having numerous boxes of stained currency, which they intended to clean not only for themselves but also for high-ranking government officials.
To gain the complainant’s trust, the Nyaudes promised to repay her threefold and displayed stained paper notes, purportedly totaling about US$2 million. They then proposed a trip to South Africa for purchasing the cleaning chemicals, with the complainant even suggesting to accompany them, unsure of the legitimacy of their claims.
The elaborate scam continued as they traveled to South Africa, where they met with other individuals who purportedly demonstrated how the money cleaning process worked. The complainant paid substantial sums for air tickets, chemicals, and facilitation of the ‘cleaning’ process. On their return to Zimbabwe, the duped businesswoman realized she had fallen victim to a well-orchestrated scam.
Annah Nyaude asked for further payments to facilitate the final cleaning, but after her demands escalated, she vanished, leaving the complainant with no trace of the promised money or the scammers. The total loss incurred amounted to US$12,800, with no recovery made.
The victim, realizing the deception, reported the matter to the authorities, leading to the arrest of the Nyaudes.
This case exposes the perils of financial scams and serves as a cautionary tale against being enticed by get-rich-quick schemes. It also highlights the need for greater vigilance and scrutiny, especially in financial dealings involving large sums of money. Such fraudulent activities not only cause financial harm but erode trust within communities and underline the importance of awareness and due diligence in all financial transactions.
