The Kenya Police yesterday arrested 19 Nigerians residing in Nairobi for alleged involvement in electronic fraud, Standard newspaper of Kenya reported.
The suspects were arrested in Umoja, Kasarani and Roysambu Estates within Nairobi for engaging in electronic fraud targeting Kenyans.
Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti said the suspects targeted their victims through the social media before they embarked on lying to them.
โThe fraudsters start by befriending you on social media (Facebook) and once you accept the friend request they initiate a friendly chat that promises the victim goodies to be sent through DHL at the airport,โ he said.
โThe following day a call will be made and someone will pretend to be an attendant at the DHL office.
โThey will tell the victim to pay clearance fees for the same parcel they claim to have sent to a person.
โImmediately you send the money through Mpesa another call is made requesting for some more money for other documentation and taxes.
โAfter paying the dues demanded, your calls demanding for your parcel will not be picked. That is the time you realise that you have been conned. This is therefore to warn members of the general public against such fraudsters.โ
The swoop followed a barrage of complaints filed with police over the incidents. One victim told police he had been promised an Iphone.
He paid Sh70,000 for the gadget.
During the swoop, several electronic gadgets were recovered from the suspectsโ houses.
Some of the suspects had come to Nairobi as students and as businessmen.
