THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN EVIDENCE GATHERING FOR CASES OF FRAUD: CASE OF BULAWAYO CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, ZIMBABWE

Abstract

This article discusses the role of technology in evidence gathering for cases of fraud, drawing reference from the Bulawayo Central Business District (CBD) in Zimbabwe. The research was inspired by the continued and endless occurrence of a plethora of scandalous fraud cases in the Bulawayo CBD. A mixed-method approach was adopted with a pragmatic philosophy. The approach gave inductive and deductive reasoning to conclude the relationship between technology and fraud. In this view, an exploratory design was used. The target population was mainly police officers and magistrates in the Bulawayo CBD. A questionnaire was used as an instrument to gather data, whilst Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. Research results revealed that there is a positive relationship between the use of technology and the detection and prevention of fraud cases in the Bulawayo CBD. It was also established that fraudulent activities in the Bulawayo CBD encompassed both direct and indirect forms and the most prevalent fraud activities emanated from e-banking and were committed mostly by employees. The study recommends that there a need to continually train law enforcement agents, judicial officials and company staff on the use of technological tools and ways of detecting the current modus operandi of criminals about fraud-related activities.