A Harare businessman was swindled out of more than US$37,000 through a series of fake identities, fabricated adultery accusations, fake medical conditions, and even a staged death of individuals who never existed.
Shockingly, the alleged perpetrator behind the scheme is the man’s own aunt, Simakuhle Ncube, who created an intricate web of lies to manipulate him into sending money over time.
Drawing comparisons to the infamous Netflix crime documentary The Tinder Swindler, Ncube initiated contact with her nephew, Culverwell Tawanda Venge, through an online connection, using her knowledge of his financial status—gained through her marriage to his uncle.
On a recent court appearance, prosecutors revealed that Ncube had begun this elaborate scheme in October of last year, continuing until August. She invented several fictional personas, including “Tarisai Mlambo,” “Brian Mususa,” “Portia,” and “Mrs Mlambo,” each with a role to play in the extortion.
Posing as a student in need of accounting lessons, the fictional Tarisai reached out to Venge.
They began communicating on WhatsApp, eventually developing a romantic relationship through flirtatious messages.
Soon, the fake husband character, Brian Mususa, supposedly discovered their affair and confronted Venge through Ncube. According to Ncube, this fictional Brian demanded financial compensation for the alleged affair, leading Venge to pay US$2,500 in early November.
The demands quickly escalated, with “Brian” later requesting US$10,000. To add to the pressure, Ncube fabricated a story that “Tarisai” had fallen ill due to stress, allegedly landing her in a Harare clinic. Venge was repeatedly asked to cover medical expenses, which eventually led to claims of an operation and, later, a need for specialized treatment in India.
When Venge insisted on meeting “Tarisai,” Ncube made excuses, preventing him from ever seeing the character in person. Eventually, Ncube claimed that Tarisai had passed away while in India, asking Venge to pay for the repatriation of her body to Zimbabwe.
Following that, Venge was informed that Tarisai’s husband had committed suicide, and his relatives were seeking vengeance unless they received more compensation.
Throughout this entire ordeal, Venge never met any of the fake characters. Ncube was the only person he interacted with in person, acting as the negotiator and recipient of all funds.
The scheme unraveled when Venge stumbled upon photographs of the supposed characters and realized the images were of real people living in Bulawayo, none of whom were involved in the plot. He then reported the scam to the police.
As a result of the manipulation, Venge is estimated to have lost a total of US$37,020.
