Two mobile money agents are among four people arrested for unauthorized access to data, identity-related crimes and obtaining money by false pretences.
Zambia Police deputy spokesperson Danny Mwale said yesterday that the police have been receiving complaints of hacked WhatsApp accounts from members of the public, who have also lost money.
Upon investigations, 44-year-old Brian Bwalya Malama and Austin Malama, 36, residents of Chelstone and Obama respectively were caught in the net.
Also nabbed were David Kabwe and Mwiya Machwani, who both reside in Kamanga compound and are aged 32 years.
The quartet has been operating a fraud ring where they compromise and take over their victims’ WhatsApp accounts and lure their contacts into conversing and sending money to people they thought were known to them, when in fact not.
“We are appealing to members of the public who could have been swindled as a result of sending money to persons using names such as Anita Nkhuwa, Derrick Mulenga and Mervis Sakala to report to any police station,” Mwala urged.
He also advised the public to always confirm the people contacting via normal voice calls before engaging in any mobile money transactions.
