Following the arrest of six suspected cybercriminals in Mombasa on Wednesday, June 4, chilling details have emerged revealing how the syndicate preyed on unsuspecting Kenyans.
In a statement on Thursday, June 5, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the suspects would manipulate their victims, and drain their bank accounts, leaving them devastated.
"In one case reported at Nyahururu Police Station on January 17, 2025, a man lost Ksh3.4 million to the swindlers, while another woman woke up to a zero balance and Ksh1.8 million poorer in the morning of March 14, 2025," said the DCI.
The fraudsters also targeted individuals in Nakuru, where reports reveal similar patterns of deception and loss.
"At Nakuru's Mwariki Police Station, a third victim reported the loss of Ksh1.3 million on April 7 after a call with a person he believed was a customer service agent, given the phone number used to contact him. The same fate befell an elderly woman who lost Ksh1.2 million on the same date," DCI disclosed.
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Investigators further noted that retirees, particularly women, were being deliberately targeted by the syndicate.
According to DCI, the criminals struck swiftly after pension benefits were deposited into victims' accounts.
"An instance is that of a 63-year-old former employee at the Ministry of Lands who, after decades of service, went home with an empty bag having lost Ksh2.3M to the miscreants. In a similar con game, another employee of the County Government of Nakuru lost Ksh1.6M and another Ksh1.5 million," read the DCI statement.
Two of the six suspects, identified as Dominic Kipkoech Langat, alias Solobwek, and Fortune Muthina Kinyanzui, are said to be the masterminds behind the operation.
"Further established is that Dominic Langat, who also goes by the alias name Solobwek, has mostly been operating using the numbers 0750000040 and 073433335, which have been transacting monies in excess of a million daily since April.
"In the well-coordinated fraud, Fortune Kinyanzui charges his web of accomplices Ksh16,000 daily as airtime to recharge the spoofing accounts, and between Ksh30,000 and Ksh120,000 as his share depending on each day's kill. Solobwek pays the other gang members between 10% and 15% depending on how much they bring on the bloody table," DCI added.
The DCI said investigations are still ongoing, with detectives working to identify additional victims and uncover how the stolen funds were withdrawn and distributed among the suspects.
