Mutare Builder Jailed After Defrauding Halsteds of Over US$2,000 in Construction Materials
A builder from Mutare has landed in jail after defrauding Halsteds Builders of construction materials worth more than US$2,000.
Thembelani Siziba, 29, reportedly forged the invoice to steal construction materials from the hardware store.
How a US$32 Purchase Turned Into a US$2,132 Scam
Siziba appeared before Magistrate Honest Musiyiwa on Thursday.
According to H-Metro Siziba, together with two unidentified accomplices, visited Halsteds Builders’ Mutare branch on July 14 and made a genuine purchase worth US$32.96.
The items included one IBR Chromadek Kalahari sheet, three metres of brick force, and some electrical conduit pipes.
But the small transaction was just the beginning of a larger scam. “Siziba fraudulently altered the invoice to read US$2,132.96. He also changed the time on the invoice from 11:10 hours to 12:10 hours to avoid detection,” said prosecutor Joice Tinarwo.
Using the forged document, Siziba proceeded to the dispatch department where materials listed on the altered invoice were loaded into his truck.
