Five suspects have been apprehended by Police in Southern Province in connection with the offences of Theft, Unauthorized Access to Data, Obtaining Money by False Pretences, Making Documents without Authority and Personation.
Police Spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said the arrests follows recently conducted Investigations in Southern Province on a number of prevailing cybercrime and cash fraud.
Mr. Hamoonga identified the suspects as Miyoba Chisanga aged 25 Monze, Dawson Sibande aged 27 of Monze, Ignatius Samasumo Pesuka aged 22,
Kasonkomona aged 21 and Boniface Mahepo aged 32.
He said a joint team comprising of officers from Zambia Police Service and Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) recently conducted investigations relating to mobile money transfer for goods bought through Facebook but never delivered and fake network providers.
The team recovered four cell phones, two desk top computers, one Laptop, eight Automated Teller Machines Visa cards, two National Registration Cards and 28 Sim cards.
Chisanga and Sibande, employees of Top Image, are said to have been resetting MTN Mobile money wallets pin codes belonging to victims of financial related crimes mostly when cell phones are stolen from members of the public.
Mr. Hamoonga added that Pesuke operated a fake alleged that a fake company called Connectify Broad Band limited was involved in the sales of unlimited internet data, hacking of social media, online mobile banking platforms, unauthorized access, manipulation of critical database and forgery.
“A Joint team comprising of officers from Zambia Police Service and Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) recently conducted Investigations in Southern Province on a number of prevailing cybercrime and cash fraud involving mobile money transfer for goods bought through Facebook but never delivered and fake network providers. After the investigations, five suspects have been apprehended in connection with the offences of Theft, Unauthorized Access to Data, Obtaining Money by False Pretences, Making Documents without Authority and Personation.The team recovered four cell phones, two desk top computers, one Laptop, eight Automated Teller Machines Visa cards, two National Registration Cards and 28 Sim cards,” Mr. Hamoonga said.
“Two amongst the five suspects namely Miyoba Chisanga aged 25 of Manungu Township in Monze and Dawson Sibande aged 27 of Manungu orphanage in Monze who are employees of Top Image a company contracted to manage Sim replacement in areas where MTN Zambia is not present have been charged and arrested for Theft and Unauthorised Access to Data. It is alleged that the two employees of Top Image have been resetting MTN Mobile money wallets pin codes belonging to victims of financial related crimes mostly when cell phones are stolen from members of the public.
Meanwhile Ignatius Samasumo Pesuka aged 22 who is a businessman of house number 442 Riverside in Choma has been charged and arrested for Obtaining Money by false pretences, Making Documents without Authority and Personation.
During the same operation the officers charged and arrested Samuel Kasonkomona aged 21 and Boniface Mahepo aged 32 for the offence of Making Documents without authority,” he said.
The investigating team has since seized all the recovered items.
“It is further alleged that a fake company operated by Ignatius called Connectify Broad Band limited was involved in the sales of unlimited internet data, hacking of social media, online mobile banking platforms, unauthorized access, manipulation of critical database and forgery.All the recovered items have been seized under the seizure of goods Section 121(1) of Chapter 88 of the Laws of Zambia.The suspects will appear in Court soon,” Mr. Hamoonga said.
Meanwhile, the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) on the Copperbelt is urging digital financial services consumers to officially report phone numbers being used by scammers.
ZICTA Copperbelt Regional Officer Christabel Simbulo Simbulo Langamu said many people who are being swindled in relation to digital financial services do not officially report to the Police or ZICTA.
Featuring on a Radio Icengelo Programme, Mrs Langamu said reporting numbers being used by scammers helps ZICTA to block them and end the chances of swindling more people.
She added that ZICTA has partnered with other stakeholders like police in a bid to combat crimes relating to digital financial services as the number of consumers increases.
“It is important for you to report those cases to us (ZICTA) or your service providers immediately you receive this scam message or call and report that line. When you give us those numbers we flag them off for blocking so that they are no longer used to scam more people,” Mrs Langamu said.
According to the latest ZICTA statistics, 13.2 percent of people who use the internet reported having had an encounter with financial fraud.
“The problem is that very few people report but the essence of reporting is protecting the next person,” she said.