KUDAKWASHE Munyanyi went to Eastgate Shopping Mall with the intention of converting US$400 into South African rand. He wasn’t going to convert the money in a bank.
His friends had told him of the illegal foreign currency dealers who were offering a good rate and so he expected to pocket a few extra dollars. If only he knew what awaited him.
In the wink of an eye, Munyanyi was left clutching a bunch of useless Zimbabwe dollars wrapped in a R100 note.
“It is very difficult to explain how I parted with my US$400. I think these people use magic to trick you so that you don’t raise any eyebrows during the transaction,” he said after the ordeal.
Munyanyi thought he was dealing with genuine “money changers,” only to realise that he had been duped when his money was gone.
“My intention was to convert my money at the Road Port. But I met this other guy, before I got to the Road Port, who offered me what I thought was the highest rate.“He produced the actual rands which were rolled and gave them to me to count. After that he demanded them back and rolled them again. He gave me a bunch and I handed him my US$400.“After a few seconds I realised that I was holding a R100 rolled around a bunch of Zimbabwe dollars and by that time the guy had disappeared.”
Illegal foreign currency dealers, who had disappeared soon after the introduction of multiple currency system early this year, have re-emerged on the streets of Harare.
Their re-emergence is attributed to the firming of the South African rand against the United States dollar.
But among them is an emerging group of conman who lure their targets by pretending to offer the highest cross rates.
Their act is now popularly known as “kuBhosha” and they have earned themselves the title “vakomana veBhosh”.
Many people are falling for the tricksters, who thrive at crowded places like Eastgate Shopping Mall and the Copacabana Bus Station.
Investigations by The Sunday Mail at Eastgate have revealed that the conmen use two ways to dupe people into parting with their precious United States dollars.
One of the tricks is called “count” in which the target is shown the actual money (in this case rand) according to the agreed rate.
The other trick is called “straight” where a customer is given a bunch of Zimbabwe dollars wrapped in a R100 note.
At Eastgate Shopping Mall, the fraudsters plant themselves at different points around the building.
As one passes by, he or she is offered different cross-rates starting at as low as US$1 to R7 to as high as US$1 to R8.
The fraudsters know that if one is really looking for rand they would fall for the trick and choose to deal with the one who offers the highest rate.
If one agrees to the deal, the fraudster pretends not to have enough money on them and excuses themselves on the pretext that they want to collect more.
The Sunday Mail found out that there is a certain man at the shopping mall known as Zharare, who supplies the fraudsters with the real money to use in conducting the fake deals.
After the fake deal is successful, Zharare gets his money back and demands his share from the stolen money.
“The deal is set in motion once the real money is shown to the targeted person,” said Collin Muchenje, who was arrested by the police after he duped someone out of US$200 at Eastgate.
“The trick is to let the person count the money and ascertain that it is real. You then ask them to hand over the money back to you on the pretext that you want to verify the amount. You count it and roll it in their view.
“You quickly change the bundles and you should do it in a flash so that the person does not notice. You ask the person to hand over the United States dollars while you give them the new bunch made up of R100 rolled around Zimbabwe dollars.”
In the meantime, the fraudster would appear to be unsettled, always telling the targeted person that they should be on the look out for the police and thieves.
His colleagues would be monitoring the transaction and once they are satisfied that the money has exchanged hands, they pounce, pretending to be either the police or thieves.
They whisk the fraudster away and leave you with the wrong notes and when you discover the fraud after a few seconds they would be gone.
Those who use the “straight” trick to con people do not use the actual notes.
“They just tell you to give them the United States dollars, while they at the same time hand over R100 rolled around Zimbabwe dollars,” said another fraudster, who only identified himself as Elvis.
“By the time you hand over your money and you receive the R100 rolled around Zimbabwe dollars, you will all of a sudden be surrounded by people pretending to be police officers before you have the chance to count the money.”
The supposed police officers will then make a fake arrest of their colleague and pretend to take him away.
By the time one tries to verify the amount of money left in their hands, the tricksters would be gone.
A casual visit at the Harare Central Police Station last week revealed that fraudsters of different kinds have invaded the city.
Pickpockets, who had almost disappeared in the last few years because very people were carrying the local currency in their wallets, are also back in business with a bang.
Like their foreign currency colleagues, they like to operate from crowded areas, where they are assured of “brisk business”.
Reports say some operate at the Charge Office Bus Terminus, right at the entrance to the Harare Central Police Station.
At the Central Police Station, The Sunday Mail crew saw one woman who came in to make a report that she had lost her handbag containing US$140 and some luggage to thieves at the bus terminus’ toilets.
“There was a man and a woman who said they were vendors and had cardboard boxes with bananas near the toilets. They offered to look after my luggage while I get into the toilet and I gave them the luggage, together with my handbag. When I came out, they were gone.
“I asked those who were around and they said they did not know them,” said the woman almost in tears.
Harare provincial police spokesman Inspector James Sabau said it was surprising that people were being conned by tricksters using the same old tricks.
“People should not be fooled by these tricks. I wonder why a person carrying US$1 000 can entertain a stranger to the extent of giving them the money,” said Insp Sabau.
He said police were always on the look out for the tricksters, but it was impossible to deal with them if people did not play their part. He said police are fighting crime from different fronts, so the public should play their part by being vigilant.
Unfortunately, those who would have lost their money through the conmen do not report to police as they would be involved in illegal activities, said Insp Sabau..Lovemore Chikova
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