Card Cloning Crimes costs Zim $326 Million

Zimbabwe has in the period between January 2018 and April 2019 lost $325, 607, 070 due to Card Cloning, cyber crime statistics from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) have revealed. ZRP statistics reveal that 9 165 arrests related to Card Cloning activities have been made during the review period.

In a recent interview, Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Information and Communication Technology Division Mr. Jacob Mutisi said his division recently received a report from ZRP which shows that the police are lacking adequate tools to curb cybercrime.

Engineer Mutisi said ZRP was quoting sections from the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act) in their report, also called the CODE, which was last amended in March 2007 when cybercrime was not yet rampant.
Therefore the ZRP has not been in a position to successfully break the cyber crimes using that CODE since it does not properly cover the cyber-security crimes.

Engineer Mutisi further said that it is without a doubt that the ZRP is not equipped with the right laws to fight modern cyber crimes.

The Zimbabwe Information and Communication Technology Division have, therefore, urged the Zimbabwean Government to see to it that the Computer Crime and Cyber Security Bill Is implemented with urgency and the stakeholders should urgently adjust the CODE to address modern-day crimes.

The ZICT further said that the Parliament of Zimbabwe should adopt the effective substantiative criminal legislation and procedural instruments that allow for the law enforcement agencies to fully investigate and prosecute for the misuse of the internet, electronic and mobile money devices to commit the crime.

The ZICT has also taken note of other crimes such as phishing, hacking, mobile money fraud, illegal SIM swaps, spreading hate and inciting terrorism and identity threats that all need to be addressed urgently. Cyber crimes are of major threats to governments world over and the Zimbabwean Government has been advocating for universal internet access, social media adoption and e-digital services adoption and currently the Cyber Bill is still before Parliament to be debated by legislators and has not yet been passed.