Detective Muleya Concerned About Increasing Pyramid Scams Despite Repeated Warnings
Detective Assistant Inspector Tom Muleya, a member of the CID Commercial Crimes Division and the National Cyber Security Awareness Taskforce in Zimbabwe, has expressed concern over the increasing prevalence of pyramid scams despite repeated warnings from law enforcement and regulatory authorities. In July 2023, the country witnessed one of the largest pyramid scams in history, known as E-Creator, which resulted in substantial financial losses for numerous participants.
Muleya emphasises that pyramid scams are being presented in various attractive and deceptive forms, making them all the more enticing. Despite the proactive measures taken by the police to alert the public earlier in the year, many individuals have chosen to disregard these warnings, leading to a rising number of victims. More than 550 people have already fallen prey to the scam, with additional reports still coming in.
According to Muleya, the question that arises is: why do people continue to fall for pyramid scams despite being educated and warned about their dangers? He says the persistence of pyramid scams stems from a combination of factors, including misconceptions about law enforcement’s intentions, gullibility, greediness, ignorance, deliberate violation of the law, the influence of social media, and the exploitation of individuals benefiting from the fraud. He says:
One of reason is that people think the police does not want them to make money and realise profits.
In other ways people give a deaf ear to the free education and warning on crime awareness because they view and think the police are interfering with their opportunity to make huge profits .
The other reason is gullibility or greediness. Elwyn Brooks White once said, “People are very gullible. They will believe anything they see in print.”
Let me also try to go biblical because I believe everything that happens under the sun is already in the Bible.
It said in the book of 1Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil [crime]: which while some coveted after [gullibility], they have erred from faith [business principles], and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” [became victims due to own actions], emphasis in brackets mine.
So you see, gullibility which is that oversized ego or desire for money is reason victims abound.
Some people become victims due to ignorance, which may be ignorance to law, or ignorance as to nature of business. People then take chances even though they may be evident manifestation of risk or danger of losing out, in the purported “make quick money investment”.
On another hand, it is not even ignorance but deliberate violation of law. People know the scheme is illegally yet they continue to take part.
Social media evades people’s reasoning. The fact that something is advertised on social media, people fall for it. Even the smallest lie is greatly valued on social media.
The other reason is due to the fact that certain individuals who are used as bait in pyramid fraud actually get some benefits. So their testimony is used to convince more others who are then scammed.
Muleya says to combat these scams effectively, it is crucial for individuals to actively participate in the fight against fraud and cybercrimes, creating a safe and crime-free environment in Zimbabwe.
- Feedback to Detective Assistant Inspector Tom Muleya: WhatsApp line: 0772 764 043, or e-mail:teezmuleya@gmail.com.
