Harare MP Targeted By Bogus H-Metro Journalists in Blackmail Scam
A dangerous group of fraudsters is going around pretending to be H-Metro journalists, targeting people, including a sitting Member of Parliament, and demanding money in exchange for not publishing fake scandalous stories.
These bogus reporters are running what looks like a well-organised scam, forcing people to pay up or risk public embarrassment. Victims are reportedly losing their hard-earned money after being blackmailed by these con artists.
Last week, a legislator from a Harare constituency became the latest victim. According to the MP, a man claiming to be from the H-Metro newsroom approached him, alleging to have damaging information about an extramarital affair involving the MP and an unnamed woman.
The so-called reporter claimed the details were so scandalous that if published, it would destroy the MP’s public image and possibly cost him his seat in Parliament.
The real motive was soon clear: the fake reporter demanded a cash payment to keep the story quiet.
“He said that it would all be settled if I paid US$500,” said the MP, when he reached out to the H-Metro leadership. That was the moment I realised that something was wrong and this was a way to try and extort me. He used a private number to call me and this meant that I was unable to try and reach out to him.”
H-Metro’s Editor, Robson Sharuko, said this wasn’t an isolated case. He confirmed that more and more people have come forward saying they were contacted by people falsely claiming to be H-Metro journalists.
Sharuko said these fraudsters follow a similar script, claiming to have explosive details about personal scandals and threatening to publish them unless paid off.
“There are many bogus H-Metro reporters out there and it appears they have now taken steroids because they have taken their game to a whole new level,” he said adding, “We keep getting all these stories of people who are saying they were contacted by H-Metro reporters whose names don’t exist among those who are employed by this newspaper. The stories are similar and they usually involve these bogus reporters claiming they have explosive details of this man or that woman and they want to publish these stories. Then, when they have pinned their subjects into a corner, they then tell them that the story could be stopped if they pay a certain amount of money.”
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