The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has revealed details of a high-level scam that saw a man and his accomplices swindle a luxury Airbnb over Ksh370,000.
In a statement on Wednesday, April 16, the DCI said Samwel Malish orchestrated the bold fraud at Jumeirah Palm Resort in Mombasa.
According to the investigating agency, Malish booked a three-bedroom Airbnb unit for a two-week stay, but fled without settling the bill.
"Samwel Malish has been apprehended for pulling off a daring scam at the Jumeirah Palm Resort in Mombasa. He booked a three-bedroom Airbnb for two weeks but vanished into thin air without paying a dime.
"Malish, along with two accomplices, concocted an elaborate scheme to book the luxurious stay online, which would cost a total of Ksh370,300," the statement read in part.
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DCI said the trio initiated the scam by sending a fake RTGS message indicating a payment of Ksh105,800, but the funds did not reflect on the Airbnb host’s account.
When questioned, Malish reportedly assured the host that his company would foot the bill before checkout.
However, unbeknownst to the host, the three had planned to sneak out of the rented unit after their stay and disappear into thin air.
“They first sent an RTGS message for Ksh105,800, but the funds never reflected in Airbnb’s account. When the host inquired about the missing payment, Malish confidently claimed that his company would cover the bill before their departure.
"But just like a magician’s disappearing act, he and his accomplices inexplicably vanished, leaving behind nothing but confusion and bills,” the DCI noted.
According to the DCI, investigations into the incident revealed that Malish is no stranger to fraud having been involved in criminal activities in Australia.
Additionally, the suspect and his crew had previously defrauded another beach hotel in Mombasa using a similar tactic.
"As investigators dug deeper, they uncovered Malish's notorious history as a con artist, wanted for swindling innocent victims across Africa, and even involved in criminal activities in Australia. He and his partners in crime previously defrauded a Beach Hotel in Mombasa in the same fashion," the DCI added.
Malish is currently undergoing police processing pending arraignment, as detectives launch a manhunt for his partners.
