MARTIN MAWAYA
HARARE – Lands and Agriculture Minister Dr Anxious Masuka has distanced himself from a fraudulent Facebook page bearing his name “Hon Anxious Jongwe Masuka”.
According to the Ministry, the fake account is being used by unknown individuals to deceive the public and extort money under false pretenses.
In a statement, the Ministry clarified that Minister Masuka does not have a personal Facebook account and is not soliciting any funds or financial contributions through social media or other online platforms.
“The activities associated with this fraudulent account are illegal and intended solely to mislead and defraud unsuspecting members of the public,” the statement read.
The Ministry added that it is working closely with law enforcement agencies to address this issue and urged the public to be cautious of any communication or requests for funds claiming to be from the Minister or the Ministry through unofficial channels.
It emphasized that all official communication from the Ministry or the Minister is issued through the Ministry’s website and accredited print and electronic media.
Masuka advised the public to verify the authenticity of any communication or requests for funds before responding and to report any suspicious activity to the relevant authorities.
Meanwhile, on Friday prominent Masvingo businessman’s profile picture was used by South Africa based scammers on a cellphone number from that country to solicit for money from his business colleagues in the ancient city.
The number with his profile picture requested for money from colleagues claiming that he wanted to buy something from South Africa and wanted to top up the money.
One businesswoman deposited R34 000 into an FNB account as she fell for the trick and she is counting her losses at the moment after learning the businessman was around and not in South Africa.
