Police launch man-hunt for Ponzi scheme con artist
Police have launched a man-hunt for a Ponzi scheme con artist who is on the run after scamming dozens of Zimbabweans off their hard earned cash.
Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi on Wednesday said law enforcement agents were seeking information on the location of Bervern Dzinoenda in connection with cases of fraud.
Dzinoenda is said to have set up a supposed investment company to fool his victims.
“During the period between 2018 and 13 August 2020, the accused person operated Bervern Capital Private Limited, accepting deposits from members of the public, posing as a registered investment company without a licence from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe,” Nyathi said.
“Clients were promised super profits upon maturity of their deposits. The accused person has since disappeared with the cash without paying some depositors and his whereabouts are unknown to date,” he continued.
“Anyone who may have information pertaining to his whereabouts to report at the nearest police station or Harare number 0242-748836.”
The incident comes as a youthful Zimbabwean man, who always dresses in white attire to signify his supposed wealth, courted trouble after allegedly duping scores of Zimbabweans living locally and abroad through an investment scam.
23-year-old Taona Oswald Chipunza – better known as Teemak in music circles – is alleged to have duped unsuspecting investors that include cabinet ministers, high net worth earners, church leaders and ordinary folk alike.
Chipunza is said to have assured his alleged victims, dotted around the globe, of massive financial windfall on their investment.
However, the scheme, with all the marks of serious foreign exchange fraud, collapsed spectacularly at the end of June.
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