The giant of law enforcement in Lilongwe, Lingadzi Police Station, has cracked a major fraud case, uncovering a complex web of deceit that resulted in the theft of over MK100 million from various bank accounts through a sophisticated SIM card swapping scheme.
The scheme, which targeted unsuspecting National Bank of Malawi customers, involved swapping TNM phone numbers linked to a specific mobile device (MO626), allowing the criminals to access and transfer funds.
The first reported incident occurred on June 15, 2024, when UK-based IT specialist Ted Kaliyapa discovered that MK14,259,731 had been stolen from his business and personal accounts.
Investigations by Lingadzi’s detective team revealed that the TNM number was swapped on July 11, 2024, and used to transfer funds to different bank accounts, mpamba, and Airtel money accounts between July 14 and 15, 2024.
Call logs showed that the criminals used cellular network towers within Lilongwe district, leading to the arrest of 31-year-old IT expert Leticia Fegason Mafikeni and her 29-year-old brother Grecian Kazonga at Mswati village and Area 49 Dubai, respectively.
The duo admitted to committing the offense jointly with an unknown accomplice. The breakthrough has also solved two similar cases reported at Mzuzu and Lilongwe police stations, involving the theft of MK79,000,000 and MK10,230,000, respectively.
The suspects were found with password-cracking tools they used to swap SIM cards. It is alleged that the suspects randomly selected phone numbers, and when they found an account with a large amount of money, they started transferring funds.
The suspects will appear in court once investigations are complete. Lingadzi police are working to recover the stolen funds, but so far, no recoveries have been made.
The suspects are from Mswati village, Traditional Authority Khongoni in Lilongwe district.
Sergeant Cassim Manda
Lingadzi Police Station Publicist
Phone: +265999041780
Facebook page: Cassim Manda Mkombozi
Twitter: @cassimmanda7
Email: [email protected]