Most of the popular scam trends such as those where people get swindled by unknown people claiming to be employees of network providers such as Mascom, BTC and Orange, emanate from inside prisons, The Midweek Sun has learnt.
What happens is, prisoners call random numbers, tell unsuspecting victims that they have won themselves money or vouchers for being loyal customers of a certain network provider. They then proceed to say if the customer wants to claim their prize, they should press a few numbers on their phones and the money will be credited to their accounts.
This is how many people lose their hard-earned money because after pressing buttons not knowing what they are doing, money is transferred out of their accounts.
A video which this publication has seen and can confidently confirm that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is also in possession of, shows prisoners confessing to having swindled many Batswana of their money.
The prisoners are seen in the video showing CID officers how they usually call and talk to people.
“Yes we have managed to bust their whole operation, we have been investigating this for a long time. Prisoners have phones inside prison cells that they use to scam people, once they receive the monies, they get assistance from outsiders who cash out the stolen monies,” CID sources said.
At one point the CID investigated one woman who claimed that she had only met her prison lover once but he had been calling her. He would then scam people and send her to get the monies and keep for him or bring it to prison. The informant said that the amount of money the prisoner had while inside jail ran into thousands of Pula.
Reached for comment, the Director of Crime Intelligence Branch Nnunu Lesetedi said he was aware of the matter but Botswana Prisons was better placed to speak on it as it affects them directly.
Botswana Prison Service (BPS) spokesperson Oagile Kojane on Tuesday said he was not aware of any fresh case they have involving prisoners that scam people.
He said that they are aware that some prisoners have phones in jail. “We often find phones on them and confiscate them, they also have Marijuana,” Kojane said.
He said members of the public are the ones who give prisoners phones and Marijuana.
"When a prisoner goes to court, they are given these things. They get them from inside toilets and at times, are able to take them to their cells without getting caught. But we are always doing searches and taking all away," he said.
Kojane said they are aware that some BPS employees also work with prisoners to commit crimes, but warned that it is wrong to do so and if caught, offenders will face the wrath of the law as their actions undermine prison’s efforts to rehabilitate convicts.
