Elderly Couple (65) Steals US$40k After Bank Glitch
An elderly couple from Bulawayo stole US$40 000 after exploiting a technical glitch experienced by Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe.
The Chronicle reports that the embezzlement was uncovered after a routine investigation by the bank’s forensic department leading to the eventual arrest of Mr Frank and Fransisca Netsai Sibanda.
The couple, both aged 65, appeared before regional magistrate Mr Joseph Mabeza on charges of theft and he remanded each of them out of custody on US$500 bail.
The couple is facing 47 counts of theft after allegedly going on a spending spree in Zimbabwe and in South Africa. The charges as presented by Mr Dominic Moyo for the State are that, on February 5 this year, Francisca opened a Silver Banking segment account at Stanbic Bank after her daughter, one Rudo Sibanda made a misrepresentation that Francisca works for her company called Cominergy Construction Mining Energy, operating from Harare.
“Accused number one was then issued with a Chip and PIN Visa Card number 40691XXXX0711 to transact on her account. “On the 5th day of April, accused number one did a POS purchase of US$17, 95 via a Steward bank ZiG POS machine at National Foods Bulawayo and the transaction failed,” said Mr Moyo.
“As part of the normal interbank failed POS transactions settlement, Steward Bank did the reversal settlement through ZimSwitch with an overstated ZiG amount of 579 116, 21, which was erroneously auto-credited to accused number one’s USD account number with US$40 850, 86,” said Mr Moyo.
He said after receiving the funds the Sibanda’s went on a spending spree locally and in some of South Africa’s upmarket Sandton suburb, where they allegedly visited lavish food and beverage markets.
The couple is set to appear in court on October 14, this
year.
