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Takudzwa Matambura Court Reporter
A Chitungwiza man who hacked OK Zimbabwe’s Money Wave System before prejudicing the company of $70 000 appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Rumbidzai Mugwagwa last Friday facing fraud charges.

Isaiah Marange (33) was remanded to February 14 on $300 bail.

Hacking is done when a person uses a computer to gain unauthorised access to data in a system.

Prosecuting, Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that on Christmas Day last year, Marange opened a Money Wave account at OK Mart with an initial deposit of $5 using the name Kundai Liberty Musamba.

It is the State’s case that on Boxing Day, Marange hacked the OK Zimbabwe Money Wave System and fictitiously credited $35 000 into his account purporting to have used OK Queensdale till number 5, when in actual fact no physical cash was deposited into the account.

The fictitious deposit reflected in the OK Zimbabwe Money Wave account as a deposit made.

Thereafter, Marange connived with his accomplices, who are already on remand, to transact using the fraudulently loaded Money Wave card in various supermarkets and wholesalers, leaving a zero balance in the account.

It is alleged that on December 28, Marange and his accomplices again hacked the OK Zimbabwe Money Wave system and fictitiously credited the same account with another $35 000.

The fabricated deposit reflected as justly deposited in the account.

The court heard that Marange and his accomplices went around making purchases in wholesalers, including National Foods, N Richards and National Tyre Services, using swiping facilities.

It is alleged that Marange would negotiate with customers intending to buy using cash in the mentioned retail outlets and swipe on their behalf.

The offences came to light after OK Zimbabwe Queensdale branch received a bank statement from CABS Bank reflecting the two falsely made deposits of $35 000 each, which were not matching with their branch reconciliation statements.

This prompted OK Zimbabwe to make a formal report to the police, leading to the arrest of Marange’s accomplices who revealed his whereabouts.

In both counts, OK Zimbabwe suffered prejudice of $70 000 and nothing was recovered.