Dairibord Director Loses US$96 000 To Sophisticated Scam Involving Multiple Dead People

Bank Employee Uses Dead Man In US$96 000 Fraud Scheme

A Dairibord finance director has been defrauded of US$96,000 (approx. R1.7 million) in a shocking scam. The elaborate fraud involved property from a deceased estate and a guarantor who had been dead for three years. Leonard Mutunga handed over the cash, believing it was a secured loan, only to discover a trail of lies.

Court documents reveal that Susan Shamiso Charewa, a Crown Bank employee, is accused of orchestrating the complex deception. She appeared before Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo last week, facing fraud charges. The state alleges she presented a deceased man as her living father to secure the funds.

The Elaborate Setup And Hollow Promises

According to court papers presented by prosecutor Takudzwa Jambawu, the alleged deception began in November 2024. Susan Shamiso Charewa approached Mutunga for financial help. She was not alone. She brought two men she introduced as her father, Kennedy Chatambudza Chinyowa, and her son, Shingirirai Maruta.

To secure the US$96,000 loan, Charewa made a compelling offer. She claimed her “father” had agreed to cede a residential property in New Marlborough, Harare, as collateral. Mutunga, trusting this assurance, handed over the cash on 5 December 2024. A formal agreement was signed, witnessed by Wadzanayi Manyika. The deal required Charewa to repay the amount in three instalments of US$32,000 (approx. R576,000) each.

A Trail Of Lies Unravels

By March 2025, no repayments had been made. After failed attempts to recover his funds, Mutunga turned to the High Court of Zimbabwe. He sought permission to auction the pledged property. This legal move triggered the unravelling of the entire scheme.

Investigations uncovered a web of falsehoods. The property offered as security belonged to a deceased estate. Charewa had no legal claim to it whatsoever. The deception went even deeper. The man presented as her father, Kennedy Chinyowa, was not merely an imposter. According to official records, he had died on 19 June 2021—three years before the loan agreement was even discussed.

Faced with this staggering reality, Mutunga reported the case to the ZRP Milton Park. Charewa was arrested at her workplace on 3 December 2025. The US$96,000 remains missing. When asked for comment, a source close to the investigation stated:

“This was a highly premeditated act. The use of a deceased person’s identity and a property from a deceased estate shows considerable planning. Nothing has been recovered.”

The accused was remanded in custody and appeared before Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo for a bail ruling on 8 December 2025. The case continues.