The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has issued a warning to the public to avoid seeking employment or private services through unverified social media contacts following a disturbing incident involving the rape and robbery of a 30-year-old woman from Chitungwiza.
According to the police, the woman was lured into a trap after she was offered a job as a shopkeeper via WhatsApp by an unidentified individual who posed as a woman.
The victim was instructed to travel to Mungate Business Centre in Domboshava on 22 June 2025 to meet her supposed employer.
Upon her arrival, the victim was told to wait at a bus stop for a representative to collect her. Two men soon approached her claiming they had been sent by the same person who had arranged the job offer.
“The suspects took the unsuspecting woman to Crowhill in Borrowdale, Harare, where they robbed her of her valuables before taking turns to rape her,” said the ZRP in a statement
Online platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook have increasingly become tools for scammers and criminals to lure unsuspecting victims into dangerous situations.
