Rwanda Investigation Bureau has warned the public of fraudsters who are taking advantage of the coronavirus, pandemic to fleece the public. They disguise of government officials promising to do favors in exchange for money. Now one of Rwandas law enforcement organs -RIB - is cautioning the public, telling them to be on the lookout. “As Rwanda and the world at large confront coronavirus pandemic, it has been clear some fraudsters are taking advantage of state-taken measures to steal from the people,” RIB wrote on Twitter Friday morning. UBUTUMWA BWA #RIB BUKANGURIRA ABATURARWANDA KWIRINDA ABATEKAMUTWE BASHAKA KUBAMBURA IBYABO BITWAJE ICYOREZO CYA KORONA VIRUSI. #COVID19#Thread — Rwanda Investigation Bureau (@RIB_Rw) March 20, 2020 RIB says some individuals disguise as RIB agents and demand money from families who have relatives in jail. The fee, they say, is to have the prisoner released to prevent the outbreak in prisons and jails. There has been no case reported in prisons and there are no reported plans of releasing prisoners. Other fraudsters, RIB says, come as officials from the Ministry of Health’s sent to spray homes, yet their objective is to steal property. RIB also warns of individuals who claim to have a cure to the coronavirus. Earlier this week, a Youtube video by a healer in Musanze district, northern Rwanda identified as Reverien Ndamyabera went viral. He proclaimed he had a cure to the pandemic that continues to shake the planet. The fraudster was arrested and the video was taken off the internet. Two days after Rwanda reported the first confirmed case of the outbreak, Foods and Drugs Authority warned of fake sanitizers trending on the market. Many people reported being sold pure glycerin branded as hand sanitizer. Only alcohol-based hand sanitizers containing at least 70 percent of alcohol are effective against the coronavirus. People should remain extremely vigilant while buying sanitizers and disinfectants, RIB cautions, urging them to immediately report such frauds via the toll-free line 166 or nearest stations. Rwanda has 11 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
