Debit Card Cloning Thief Spends Money On Liquor

Patience Nhamburo

A man from Chitungwiza, 25 kilometres South of Harare allegedly cloned two debit cards and went on a shopping spree, buying alcohol and groceries. Jeremiah Mwamira appeared at the Harare Magistrates court today (Monday) facing two counts of unauthorized use or possession of credit or debit cards.

The court heard that on a date unknown to the prosecutor but during the month of October, Mwamira acted in connivance with his accomplices only known as Tafirenyika Samuriwo and Tinashe who are still at large and cloned complainant’s ZB bank card. Mwamira used the card to purchase groceries worth $182 854 Zimbabwe dollars.

Mwamira used the complainant’s cloned card to swipe four times while purchasing 25 boxes of litres of Zimgold cooking oil valued at ZWL$182 199-50, 2X250 grams of TSB polony valued at ZWL$275-30, 1X440 millilitres of sting gold can valued at ZWL$ 48-42 and 1X500 grams of Cerevita corn & wheat satchet valued at ZWL$ 330-89, making a total sum of ZWL$ 182 854.

Mwamira received all his items except for the 1X500 grams of Cerevita corn & wheat satchet which was out of stock.

He went on to use another cloned ZB card to purchase alcohol worth ZWL$1 107-50.

Mwamira was captured on CCTV which led to his arrest and the recovery of all the groceries he had bought. Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi remanded him in custody to tomorrow (Tuesday) for his bail application as his lawyer was not available today.