Wanted scammer arrested at Wilson Airport

A man has been arrested at the Wilson Aiport in Nairobi over allegations of defrauding members of the public of millions of shillings.

In a statement, the National Police Service (NPS) said Abdiqafar Abdirashid Abey was arrested on Tuesday, January 17, while waiting to board a plane to Elwak in Mandera county.

Police said the suspect was on the police radar over a complaint lodged at Nyanchwa Police station in Kisii.

Abey was reportedly arrested following a tip-off from members of the public.

Police are yet to reveal the nature of the fraud the suspect was engaged in.

“He is suspected of defrauding the public millions of shillings as reported at Nyanchwa Police Station in Kisii county,” NPS said.

“We thank members of the public for providing crucial information that led to the timely arrest of the suspect.”

There has been a surge in cases of online fraud in the country in the recent past.

Last week, Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo raised an alarm after fraudsters took over his personal phone number after swapping his SIM.

The governor said the scammers were soliciting money from his contacts through SMS and WhatsApp messages and cautioned members of the public against falling prey to the con game.

“I urge the public to ignore messages soliciting for cash from a number through text messages and WhatsApp that is associated with my cell phone number,” Nyaribo warned in a statement.

“The National Police Service is currently investigating a case of sim swapping/cloning.
Please let’s stand advised accordingly,” he added.

Several suspects have also been arrested in the recent past for impersonating senior government officials with the aim of fraudulently obtaining money from unsuspecting members of the public.

Early this month, police arrested a man for allegedly impersonating Cabinet Secretary for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Eliud Owalo.

Odhiambo is believed to have obtained thousands of shillings from members of the public through a Facebook account bearing the names and images of the ICT boss.

He is said to have been promising business opportunities, employment and empowerment programs to hapless Kenyans.

During the operation, detectives recovered five mobile phones the suspect has been using in the scheme.

DCI confirmed that detectives are currently pursuing other suspects who have opened accounts in the names of prominent Kenyans and senior government officials, and are using the accounts to defraud the public.

“Kenyans are advised to be wary of such social media accounts and are cautioned not to send money to anyone in order to influence favours,” DCI said.

“The crooks who have opened multiple Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts have obtained thousands of shillings from unsuspecting Kenyans, who are duped into believing that the owners of the accounts will assist them secure financial assistance, jobs, among other favours.”

Collins Kipleting Serem alias Rengstar, a benga artist based in Kamplemur village in Sugoi, was arrested after he created a fake Facebook account bearing the Deputy President’s name and obtained money from unsuspecting netizens, allegedly meant for feeding Kenyans facing hunger, police said.

The suspect had obtained a paybill number that he used to con his over 14,000 followers on Facebook pretending that the money was meant to help victims of hunger across Kenya.

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