The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has urged Kenyans to beware of a notorious criminal syndicate operating within Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).
The agency on May 11, 2021, stated that members of the public had complained about being conned by the syndicate along streets within the capital.
"The DCI is in receipt of numerous complaints from members of the public who report to have fallen victim of a suspected fraud syndicate, operating within Nairobi’s Central Business District.
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"The well organized syndicate consists of young men & women, who pose as sales agents of a renown mobile telecommunication company," DCI tweeted.
The detectives noted that the criminals operate from an attached vehicle behind Kenya National Archives, along Tom Mboya Street, posing as genuine marketers of unreasonably cheap smartphones, iPads, tablets, and other flashy electronic products.
The criminals also purport to assist clients to upgrade their SIM cards to 5G.
Once they have the full attention of an unsuspecting would-be buyer, they access the victim's mobile money transfer pin and other mobile banking details, after which they transfer money from the victims’ accounts to unknown accounts.
"Whereas detectives and general duty police officers have previously arrested the fraudsters after receiving complaints from victims, they (victims) hardly show up at the police stations or DCI offices to file formal reports, thus weakening the evidential aspect upon arraignment of the suspects," DCI observed.
"As such, we appeal to members of the public who may have been hoodwinked by the fraudsters to report at DCI Headquarters’ Serious Crime Unit, to formally report their experiences with the syndicate for necessary Police action to be initiated.," the sleuths urged.
