April 29, 2024
A “sophisticated internet fraud syndicate” has been uncovered in Zambia, leading to the arrest of 77 people, including 22 Chinese nationals.
The firm, a Chinese-run company called Golden Top Support Services, employed young Zambians, who believed they were to be call-centre agents.
They engaged in deceptive conversations with unsuspecting mobile phone users across WhatsApp, Telegram, chatrooms and other platforms, using scripted dialogues.
Among equipment seized were devices allowing callers to disguise their location, and thousands of SIM cards.
An increasing number of Zambians were losing money from their bank accounts through money-laundering schemes, though this scam’s alleged “illicit operations extended beyond Zambia’s borders”, Mr. Branda, the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) director general said.
Evidence indicated people in countries including Singapore, Peru, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and others across Africa had been targeted.
Golden Top Support Services, the company at the centre of the raid, has not commented on the allegations.
