By Memory Mudzani
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has urged the public to safeguard their banking details and never share personal identification numbers (PINs) or one-time passwords (OTPs) as it intensifies efforts to combat digital and financial fraud.
Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko said common scams in the province include fraudulent SMS messages and WhatsApp links, online shopping fraud, card cloning and identity theft.
He said fraudsters were increasingly exploiting unsuspecting victims by posing as banking officials or public figu
es to obtain sensitive financial information and gain unauthorised access to accounts.
Other scams involve fake advertisements for vehicles, livestock and agricultural inputs on social media, with victims losing money after making advance payments to sellers who subsequently disappear.
“As an operational response mechanism, the ZRP has instituted multi-pronged interventions to track, apprehend and prosecute perpetrators,” Mahoko said.
He said the Criminal Investigations Department’s Commercial Crimes Division and Cybercrime Unit were working to trace electronic money transfers, identify compromised accounts and track suspected fraudsters.
The police are also collaborating with financial institutions, mobile network operators and the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) to facilitate the freezing of compromised accounts, collection of digital evidence and identification of suspects.
Mahoko urged members of the public and the business community to remain vigilant, stressing that combating online and banking fraud required cooperation between law enforcement agencies, financial institutions and the public.
He warned people against disclosing their banking credentials to anyone claiming to represent a bank or law enforcement agency.
“No bank, official or police officer will ever ask for your card PIN, online banking password or OTP over the phone. Never share these details,” he said.
Mahoko also urged people buying goods online to verify sellers before making payments and to use secure, reputable payment methods to minimise the risk of fraud.
He advised victims to immediately notify their banks or financial service providers when they suspect fraudulent activity so that affected accounts could be frozen where possible.
Victims should also report the incidents at their nearest police station and provide transaction references to assist investigations.
Mahoko further urged the public to practise safe digital habits by avoiding unverified links received through SMS, email and social media platforms.
