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Crime Reporter
Cyber criminals have reportedly hacked two accounts belonging to Rusununguko and Anderson high schools on the Electronic Ministry Application Platform (eMAP) and are now taking advantage of desperate parents looking for Form 1 places for their children for next year.

The fraudsters are reportedly sending messages to parents asking them to deposit money into two almost similar ZB Bank account numbers 4112-340606-081 and 4112-340606-080.

Rusununguko High School is in Bromley in Mashonaland East, while Anderson High School is in Gweru, Midlands province.

One of the messages circulating on social media reads: “Congratulations, your child is being offered a Form 1 2020 place. You confirm by paying $9 660 into ZB First Street Acc. No. 4112-340606-081 and $1 645 into ZB First Street Acc No. 4112-340606-080.

“Bring proof of payment and child to school for registration. The offer is valid until Friday 29 November 2019. Failure to meet the deadline, the offer will be withdrawn and given other learners on Monday 2 December 2019. Rusununguko High School.”

The other one reads: “Congratulations, your child is being offered a Form 1 2020 place. You confirm by paying $19 660 into ZB First Street Acc. No. 4112-340606-081 and $11 645 into ZB First Street Acc 4112-340606-080.

“Bring proof of payment and child to school for registration. The offer is valid until Friday 29 November 2019. Failure to meet the deadline the offer will be withdrawn and given other learners on Monday 2 December 2019. Anderson High School.”

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said they were still checking if any reports had been made over the issues.

“We would want to find out if any report has been made to police. Secondly, we urge parents to physically approach the schools so that they verify some of the information in order to deter these criminals who are using messages and the social media to dupe unsuspecting people.

“School authorities should also put in place measures to safeguard their systems so that they are not hacked by criminals,” he said.

Recently, several people lost their cash after receiving a call from a cellphone number—+263864479973—with the caller claiming to be their bank’s employee.

The caller, who had a lot of information on their victims requested their personal identification numbers (pin). The victims were also asked to confirm their pin via mobile phone messages and as soon as they did so, money would be withdrawn from their accounts. Police are still investigating the cases.

The eMAP is a platform was first introduced in December 2016 by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to bring convenience to the process of applying and securing Form One places in the country.