Tabora. Police in Tabora Region have arrested three people accused of plotting to defraud customers withdrawing cash from major financial institutions, specifically CRDB Bank and NMB Bank, through elaborate con schemes.
Speaking on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, Tabora Regional Police Commander (RPC) Twaha Lulengelule identified the suspects as Shabani Nyambi, 36, Saidatu Masoud, 52, and Veronica Richard, 40, who are all residents of Ubungo in Dar es Salaam.
"We arrested them while they were planning to enter the bank branches to target and defraud customers, particularly those withdrawing large amounts of cash," said the RPC.
Law enforcement officers searched the suspects and recovered seven genuine US dollar notes, six Squareline notebooks, eight brown envelopes, and folded notebook papers carefully cut to resemble bundles of US dollar notes.
During interrogation, the suspects allegedly admitted targeting high-value customers withdrawing large sums of money from the two commercial banks.
"They used bundles containing just a few genuine US dollar notes hidden on top of fake ones so that unsuspecting victims would believe the entire bundle was real foreign currency," explained Commander Lulengelule.
He said the suspects' modus operandi involved identifying targets inside the banks before approaching them outside with false claims that they wanted to exchange foreign currency for Tanzanian shillings, but could not use formal channels because they lacked National Identification Authority (NIDA) identity cards.
If a customer showed interest, a suspect would discreetly signal accomplices, who then pretended to be ordinary bystanders before helping convince the victim to exchange their cash for the fake dollars.
After completing the fraudulent transaction, the group would quickly flee the scene to target other bank branches.
"According to their statements, they have successfully used these fraudulent methods in different parts of the country to swindle money without being caught," he said.
Police have urged members of the public to avoid financial dealings with strangers and ensure all currency exchange transactions go through authorised banking channels.
"Residents must completely avoid private transactions outside banking halls, especially currency exchanges, because such transactions must strictly follow official legal banking procedures," stressed Commander Lulengelule.
He assured residents that Tabora remains safe and secure, urging them to continue cooperating with law enforcement agencies by reporting suspicious activities and suspected criminal elements in their neighbourhoods.
Police said security agencies remain highly vigilant against fraudsters following a series of swift arrests linked to similar financial syndicates and counterfeit currency scams across the region.
