Dairibord Director Loses US$96 000 To Sophisticated Scam Involving Deceased Individuals
A finance director at Dairibord has fallen victim to a sophisticated scam, losing US$96,000 (approximately R1.7 million).
The fraudulent scheme centered around a property from a deceased estate and involved a guarantor who had been dead for three years.
Leonard Mutunga was led to believe he was securing a loan, only to uncover a series of deceitful claims.
Court documents indicate that Susan Shamiso Charewa, an employee at Crown Bank, is accused of masterminding the intricate fraud.
She appeared before Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo last week, facing serious charges of fraud. Allegedly, she misrepresented a deceased individual as her living father in order to obtain the funds.
According to the prosecution, represented by Takudzwa Jambawu, the fraudulent activity began in November 2024.
Charewa approached Mutunga for financial assistance, accompanied by two men whom she claimed were her father, Kennedy Chatambudza Chinyowa, and her son, Shingirirai Maruta.
To secure the US$96,000 loan, Charewa promised that her “father” would provide a residential property in New Marlborough, Harare, as collateral.
Trusting her assertions, Mutunga transferred the funds on December 5, 2024.
A formal agreement was signed, witnessed by Wadzanayi Manyika, with a stipulation for repayment in three installments of US$32,000 (approximately R576,000) each.
By March 2025, there had been no repayments.
After unsuccessful attempts to recover his money, Mutunga sought the High Court of Zimbabwe’s permission to auction the pledged property.
This legal step led to the exposure of the entire scheme. Investigations revealed a complex web of deceit.
The property used as collateral belonged to a deceased estate, and Charewa had no legitimate claim to it.
Further inquiries established that the man introduced as her father, Kennedy Chinyowa, had actually passed away on June 19, 2021—three years prior to the loan discussions.
Confronted with this shocking truth, Mutunga reported the incident to the ZRP Milton Park. Charewa was arrested at her place of employment on December 3, 2025.
As of now, the US$96,000 remains unaccounted for. A source close to the investigation commented:
“This was a highly premeditated act. The use of a deceased individual’s identity and property from a deceased estate indicates considerable planning. Nothing has been recovered.”
Charewa has since been remanded in custody and appeared before magistrate Ruth Moyo for a bail ruling on December 8, 2025. The case is ongoing.
