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Man in court for defrauding woman over fence ins...

Man in court for defrauding woman over fence installation

Munyaradzi Mashiri

A 36-year-old man has been taken to court for allegedly defrauding a customer of money meant for the supply and installation of a house fence.

Pedzi Stephen appeared before magistrate Dennis Mangosi at the Harare Magistrates' Courts, facing fraud charges.

According to the State, represented by prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi, the complainant saw an advertisement on Facebook on September 8, where Stephen was promoting his services for supplying fencing materials and installing fences.

The complainant, who needed her property in Chinhoyi fenced, contacted Stephen using the phone number provided in the advert. Stephen quoted her US$960 for both the supply of materials and the installation of the fence, offering her the option to pay a US$500 deposit upfront, with the balance to be paid after the completion of the job.

On September 17, 2024, the complainant transferred US$500 into Stephen’s EcoCash account, which was registered in his name. Stephen acknowledged receiving the money and assured her he would begin work the following day.

However, the following day, Stephen informed the complainant that he lacked the funds for transporting the materials to Chinhoyi. He requested an additional US$260 to cover transport costs, leaving a balance of US$200, which he indicated would be for labor.

On September 19, the complainant transferred the US$260 to Stephen’s EcoCash account. He once again promised to start the job the next day.

Stephen, however, failed to deliver on his promises and began making excuses. Eventually, he stopped responding to the complainant’s calls and blocked her on WhatsApp, where they had been communicating.

When the complainant went to the office address Stephen had provided, she found it was consistently closed. Neighbors informed her that Stephen rarely visited the office, at which point she realized she had been defrauded. She then reported the matter to the police.

Stephen is now facing fraud charges in court.

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