By Rahim Abdul

A 25-year-old man identified as Frazer Zumba, popularly known by his social media alias Peter Donda-Frey, has been arrested by Lilongwe Cybercrime detectives for allegedly scamming unsuspecting individuals and companies through fake emails in which he posed as a Procurement Officer for a non-governmental organization, Aid International Development.

Zumba, who hails from Vinjenje Village under Traditional Authority Malengachanzi in Nkhotakota District, reportedly used fraudulent correspondence to deceive business owners and obtain expensive electronic items worth over K12.9 million.

According to police reports, the suspect contacted Total Electronics at Gateway Mall in Lilongwe, claiming to represent Aid International Development. Through this deception, he managed to collect several high-value goods, including an iPhone 16 Pro Max, a 75-inch Samsung TV and an electric kettle.

After realizing that Cybercrime detectives had launched an investigation into his activities, Zumba swiftly deleted his Peter Donda Facebook page, where he had been running several suspicious promotional and procurement posts. However, the move came too late, as investigators had already traced his digital footprint.

Police say the suspect was tracked through coordinated cyber operations that involved tracing email addresses, phone numbers and delivery patterns linked to his fraudulent transactions.

“He presented himself as a procurement officer from a reputable aid organization, which gave him credibility to unsuspecting victims. His actions have caused significant financial losses to several business entities,” said a police source familiar with the investigation.

Zumba is currently in police custody and is expected to appear before court soon to answer charges of fraud other than false pretenses.

Meanwhile, police have urged the public, especially business owners, to exercise caution when handling large online transactions or requests from unfamiliar individuals claiming to represent known institutions.

The arrest highlights the growing challenge of cyber fraud in Malawi, where criminals are increasingly exploiting digital platforms to target victims with sophisticated scams disguised as legitimate deals.