Steward Bank Employees Siphon $33k From Dormant Accounts
Three Steward Bank employees have been accused of running a highly organized fraud operation, siphoning over US$33,000 from dormant accounts.
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The elaborate scam involved creating fake visa cards and accounts for non-existent individuals, exposing glaring loopholes in the bank’s internal controls.
Two of the accused, Audrey Njanike and Ian Takaedza, appeared in court yesterday before Harare magistrate Apollonia Marutya.
According to H-Metro, the duo, who were fired last week, held key positions at Steward Bank’s Avondale Branch—Njanike as a Dispute and Charge Backs Clerk and Takaedza as a Cards Operations Clerk.
Their alleged accomplice, Alexander Rwambiwa, remains on the run.
Steward Bank Employees Siphon $33k From Dormant Accounts
The court heard that between September 27 last year and January 9 this year, the trio exploited dormant accounts—some abandoned by customers who had left the country, others inactive for unknown reasons.
Using their insider access, they generated visa cards and opened fraudulent visa accounts, crediting them with funds from the dormant accounts.
They then transferred the money into their own accounts and withdrew it for personal use.
The scheme unraveled during a routine internal audit, which flagged suspicious transactions.
The audit revealed that the bank had lost a staggering US$33,285.
Steward Bank’s Security and Investigations officer, Maheya Ezekiel, confirmed the losses in court, adding that the trio had been dismissed immediately after the fraud was uncovered.
