Magaya impersonator on the loose
A NUMBER of Zimbabweans may have fallen victim to a Facebook scam, where a suspected Nigerian scammer has been impersonating Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries founder Prophet Walter Magaya.
Through the Facebook account, the alleged impersonator reportedly converses with people, who add him as friends on the platform, seeking deliverance and healing.
He then requests people to “seed” money to him to experience divine healing and deliverance.
Among one of his victims is Bulawayo socialite Terminator Makoni, who said he was asked to send money via Western Union or Money Gram to one Orobosa Ekhaguere in Nigeria, before giving him a bank account.
Makoni said he sent a friend request to the Facebook account, with the belief it was prophet Magaya and was astonished and elated when he got a response.
“I sent a request to the account thinking it was the prophet. He gave me a false prophecy, where he told me that I had enemies, who intended to end my life by causing me to be involved in an accident.
“He then instructed me to read the book of Psalms and fast for two days. Thereafter he told me to make an offering to one orphanage called Mother Theresa’s Home and gave me an account name and number — Orobosa Ekhaguere, Skye Bank 3048676241,” said Makoni.
Makoni said, after
briefly communicating with the impersonator, he requested for a number which they could communicate via WhatsApp.
“He gave me a number to chat via WhatsApp. He told me he was in Nigeria for a Christian summit and I believed him. It was while we were chatting that he kept asking me if I had sent a “donation”. He kept asking me about the money and I began to smell a rat.
“So I started talking to him in Shona and he could not even respond in the language. It was then that my suspicions had been asserted. When I asked him if he was the real prophet Magaya he told me that I would be punished by God and my blessings would not come to pass,” said Makoni.
He added that he was also surprised as to how the account would be active even on Sundays during church services.
Sunday News took the liberty to examine the Facebook account, which has a profile and cover picture of prophet Magaya and seems to have been created in 2017.
The account apparently pays close attention to Prophet Magaya’s original account and mimics almost every bit of information posted.
Some of the people who befriended the scammer include some top Government officials and police as well.
Prophet Magaya and his camp could not be reached for comment by the time of going to press.
Many people throughout the world have fallen victim to such scams, losing hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.