By Bright Zhou
ZAKA – In what could be one of the most shameful acts of fraud, a couple from Mugudubi village Chief Nhema, Zaka was arrested after faking their biological daughter’s death in an attempt to obtain US$1 000 funeral policy benefits from life assurance company, Ecosure Life Trading which they subscribed to.
The two appeared before Masvingo Magistrate Elizabeth Hanzie facing fraud charges on May 20, 2024 and were granted bail.
It is the state’s case as presented by Prosecutor Godknows Mugondo that on the period extending from November to December 2023 Rungamirai Machinjike (27) and Talent Rutindingwe (33) made a misrepresentation to Ecosure Life Trading by making a false claim that their daughter had passed away in order to obtain US$1 000 knowing that their daughter was not dead.
The state heard that Machinjike who is wife to Rutindingwe had registered to Ecosure Funeral Cover and added Rutindingwe, their daughter and her cousin as dependents.
Machinjike and Rutindingwe planned to defraud Brighton Machisi employed at Ecosure cash amounting US$1,000 by misrepresenting that their daughter had passed away in November 2023.
To substantiate their claim, Machinjike fraudulently obtained a death confirmation letter from the headman that their daughter passed on at the village and was buried there.
Machinjike went on to convince witnesses from the village to support their claim and obtained copies of their national identity cards for proof.
Machinjike gave her husband the death confirmation letter and national identity cards so that they could process the claim in order to defraud Machisi.
Rutindingwe went on to complete Ecosure Funeral Cover claim forms and attached the death confirmation letter, witness ID cards signed on their behalf thereby making a misrepresentation.
Machisi instituted preliminary investigations to verify the authenticity of the claim and established that the duo connived together and made a misrepresentation in order to benefit from Ecosure Life.
The incident was reported to the police and the couple was arrested.
