For years, Tranos (Trynos) Taurai Muzanenhamo has been a name synonymous with cybercrime in Zimbabwe. From mobile money fraud and ATM card cloning to SIM swap scams, Muzanenhamo has become one of the most notorious faces in the country’s digital underworld.
According to reports by The Manica Post, The Zimbabwe Mail, H-Metro and allAfrica.com, Muzanenhamo has been arrested several times for various forms of financial fraud including the theft of nearly US$500,000 from a Mutare businessman and the illegal transfer of ZIG794,750 from an NMBZ account.
Despite multiple arrests, he has managed to escape justice more than once exploiting weaknesses in Zimbabwe’s cyber laws, which experts say are over a decade behind modern digital crime trends.
How Trynos Operates
Muzanenhamo’s methods are disturbingly simple yet devastatingly effective.
Operating in hundreds of WhatsApp groups, he presents himself as an Econet employee his profile often featuring the telecom giant’s logo. Unsuspecting users, seeking help with mobile or EcoCash issues, contact him directly, believing they are dealing with an official representative.
Once trust is established, Muzanenhamo requests personal and financial details including ID numbers, phone contacts, and banking information. Using insider connections, he arranges fraudulent SIM replacements, gaining control of victims’ phone numbers and access to mobile banking apps.
With this access, he initiates unauthorised transfers and drains accounts, often routing money through multiple bank and mobile money accounts under his control.
In the NMBZ case, for instance, Muzanenhamo reportedly accessed Uwen Gonyora’s mobile banking app and transferred nearly ZIG794,750 into various accounts. Gonyora only discovered the fraud after receiving automated alerts of the suspicious transfers.
The Ongoing Investigation
According to police reports, Muzanenhamo is currently wanted in connection with a string of high-profile SIM swap frauds, which have reportedly netted over US$17,000 and ZIG30 million.
Investigators believe he uses sophisticated social engineering and data mining techniques sourcing victims’ details through phishing schemes, leaked databases and public records. Once armed with the information, he impersonates victims to mobile providers, requests SIM replacements and takes over digital wallets and WhatsApp accounts.
After gaining control, he often messages victims’ contacts, pretending to be in financial distress, to solicit more funds.
ZRP spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that law enforcement has launched a nationwide manhunt for Muzanenhamo and urged members of the public to provide any information that could assist in his capture.
“We are appealing to anyone with information to contact the National Complaints Desk on (0242) 703631, WhatsApp 0712 800 197, or visit www.zrp.gov.zw,” said Commissioner Nyathi.
A Digital Warning for Zimbabwe
Muzanenhamo’s case indicates the darker side of Zimbabwe’s fast-growing digital economy. While mobile banking and e-wallets have transformed financial access, they have also created fertile ground for cybercriminals like Muzanenhamo to thrive.
Cybersecurity experts warn that without urgent updates to data protection and digital fraud laws, more Zimbabweans will fall prey to sophisticated scams exploiting the country’s growing reliance on digital finance.
For financial institutions, retailers, regulators, and ordinary citizens alike, this is a wake up call. The digital economy offers progress but without proper safeguards, it also opens the door to a new generation of tech-savvy criminals.
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