Zimbabwe computer hacker takes $70k from OK Zim

A 33-year-old Chitungwiza based computer hacker Isaiah Marange managed to hack into d OK Zimbabwe’s Money Wave System and got away with $70,000.

He was remanded to February 14 on $300 bail.

Prosecuting, Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that on Christmas Day last year, Marange opened a Money Wave account at OK Mart with an initial deposit of $5 using the name Kundai Liberty Musamba.

It is the State’s case that on Boxing Day, Marange hacked the OK Zimbabwe Money Wave System and fictitiously credited $35 000 into his account purporting to have used OK Queensdale till number 5, when in actual fact no physical cash was deposited into the account.

The fictitious deposit reflected in the OK Zimbabwe Money Wave account as a deposit made.

Thereafter, Marange connived with his accomplices, who are already on remand, to transact using the fraudulently loaded Money Wave card in various supermarkets and wholesalers, leaving a zero balance in the account.

The fabricated deposit reflected as justly deposited in the account.

The court heard that Marange and his accomplices went around making purchases in wholesalers, including National Foods, N Richards and National Tyre Services, using swiping facilities.

It is alleged that Marange would negotiate with customers intending to buy using cash in the mentioned retail outlets and swipe on their behalf.

The offences came to light after OK Zimbabwe Queensdale branch received a bank statement from CABS Bank reflecting the two falsely made deposits of $35 000 each, which were not matching with their branch reconciliation statements.

This prompted OK Zimbabwe to make a formal report to the police, leading to the arrest of Marange’s accomplices who revealed his whereabouts.

In both counts, OK Zimbabwe suffered prejudice of $70 000 and nothing was recovered.