Business Reporter
THE Bank of Namibia (BoN) has issued a warning on an increasing number of scammers seeking unsolicited financial assistance from Namibians to finance the country’s developmental agenda targeting senior public figures including politicians and civil servants.
These scams are known as ‘419 scams’, popularly known to trick victims into paying a certain amount of money to fraudsters by duping unsuspected participants of non-existent investment funds.
Kazembire Zemburuka, BoN communications director shared that these scammers target senior political and church leaders or their relatives on the basis that they have investment funds in foreign accounts available to finance the country’s developmental agenda including the construction of mega-projects.
“They claim to offer huge financial rewards to the Namibians, on the condition that individuals should first pay a certain amount of money to the fraudster to cover certain expenses, such as banking fees and administrative costs before the fraudsters deposit the funds in the victim’s account or his/ her organisation,” Zemburuka said.
He added that the said fraudsters also persuade Namibians to approach high-ranking officials in the Government and commercial banks that billions of dollars will be availed for the county’s development agenda.
“In some instances, individuals are required to share the Bank of Namibia’s banking details or the treasury screens like a blue or grey screen to process such…