A 61-year-old woman from Bulawayo got completely scammed out of $20,700 and three vehicles by a self-proclaimed prophet who weaponized fake snake removals and spirit warnings. Innocentia Sekani fell victim to Madzibaba Lenny after her daughter visited him for spiritual help, and things spiraled from there. The prophet showed up at her house, claiming to pull live snakes from wardrobes and bedrooms, then immediately demanded $3,000 or else bad things would happen.
The scheme kept escalating with Lenny forcing her to sell a Toyota Hilux for $10,000 and hand over the cash because it was supposedly contaminated by evil spirits. He later made her sell a Mazda Demio for $2,200 and tow a Toyota Aqua to his location. The con included bizarre rituals like throwing money into a river while someone hid under a bridge to collect it, plus constant additional fees for consultations and travel expenses.
Lenny faces five fraud and extortion charges in court, and only one of the three cars was eventually recovered.
The scheme kept escalating with Lenny forcing her to sell a Toyota Hilux for $10,000 and hand over the cash because it was supposedly contaminated by evil spirits. He later made her sell a Mazda Demio for $2,200 and tow a Toyota Aqua to his location. The con included bizarre rituals like throwing money into a river while someone hid under a bridge to collect it, plus constant additional fees for consultations and travel expenses.
Lenny faces five fraud and extortion charges in court, and only one of the three cars was eventually recovered.
