A Harare businessman, Culverwell Tawanda Venge, was swindled out of US$37,000 by his aunt, Simakuhle Ncube, in a complex fake romance and extortion scam.
According to court documents, Simakuhle created multiple fake identities, including a woman named Tarisai Mlambo, to lure Venge into an online relationship. She then introduced another character, Brian Mususa, Tarisai’s husband, who demanded compensation for the supposed affair.
The scam continued with Simakuhle claiming Tarisai was ill, needed surgery, and later died in India. Venge was also told Brian had committed suicide, and his relatives sought revenge.
Venge discovered the truth after finding photos of the fake characters, leading him to report Simakuhle to the police.
