Luwinga Police Unit has arrested a 51-year-old deputy principal for allegedly hacking a senior hospital administrator’s WhatsApp account and using it to defraud unsuspecting contacts of millions of kwacha in a sophisticated cyber scam. Mr. John Makison, who hails from Village Kadulanya in Traditional Authority Kamenyagwaza, Dedza District, but currently resides in Lilongwe where he works as Deputy Principal at Christian Heritage Private Primary School, is in police custody facing charges of cybercrime and fraud According to police, the suspect allegedly hacked the WhatsApp account of Mr. Soko, the Hospital Administrator at Mzuzu Central Hospital, a few weeks ago. Posing as the legitimate owner, Makison then reached out to contacts on the account, craftily soliciting loans and financial assistance under false pretenses. Within days, the operation reportedly netted him millions of kwacha. The matter came to light after victims raised the alarm. Officers from Luwinga Police’s General Duties branch, led by the ever-professional Sgt. Allan Kalasa and Senior Inspector Eric Zakariya, swung into action. Working tirelessly in collaboration with mobile network providers and financial institutions, they traced the suspect’s activities. With crucial support from the Lingazi CID team in Lilongwe, the suspect was swiftly apprehended within the bustling city centre of the capital. During the arrest, police recovered the mobile device and two SIM cards electronically linked to the scam, along with some cash. Efforts are reportedly at an advanced stage to recover a Kenyan SIM card that was also allegedly used in the fraudulent scheme. “Once they had access, the criminals appointed themselves as administrators of an official hospital WhatsApp group. They posed as Soko and messaged his close contacts, claiming he urgently needed the money and would pay it back later. In total, the suspects collected K1,431,650 from four victims,” Chipeni said During interviews, Makisoni allegedly admitted receiving the money, explaining that it was later sent to a foreign mobile number and that he only kept 15 percent of the total amount as a commission. Luwinga Police have since issued a strong advisory to the public: In this era of advanced technology where such scams are becoming increasingly common, members of the community should always verify the authenticity of messages, particularly those requesting money. Post navigation NBM Lights Up Mzuzu as SMEs Shine and Customers Take Centre Stage “WIDOW TELLS PARLIAMENT: ‘HE SAID I MAY NOT COME BACK FROM KOREA’”