Zambia police arrest two in alleged K50,000 RTSA fraud scheme

The Zambia Police Service has arrested two individuals suspected of orchestrating a fraudulent scheme that swindled unsuspecting members of the public out of K50,000.

Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) Acting Head of Public Relations, Mukela Mangolwa, confirmed the arrests, explaining that the suspects, Peter Dundula (34) and Victor Phiri (29), had been operating under the alias “Charity Lungu” to defraud the public.

The two were posing as intermediaries who claimed to assist individuals with RTSA services.

Mangolwa stated that the arrests followed an operation conducted on Saturday, September 28, 2024, by a combined team of RTSA investigation officers, Zambia Police, and ZICTA officers from the Cybersecurity Taskforce.

“The two were arrested after being trailed for three days by the combined team, following numerous reports from the public regarding their fraudulent activities,” said Mangolwa in a statement issued on Monday.

He further explained that the suspects had been taking advantage of individuals seeking RTSA services by promising expedited assistance.

“They had been scamming unsuspecting members of the public under the pretense of assisting them in accessing RTSA services,” he added.

The suspects are expected to appear in court soon to face charges related to the fraud.

Mangolwa also used the opportunity to warn the public about the dangers of engaging with third parties who solicit money through mobile money or unverified accounts.

“RTSA further warns the public against engaging third parties who solicit money through mobile money or unverified accounts under the guise of offering job opportunities, expedited services, or the clearance of traffic offences,” he stated.

He encouraged the public to only use official RTSA channels when seeking services to avoid falling victim to similar scams in the future.

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