The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Saturday, July 17, arrested a youthful man who is accused of using romance tricks to defraud single elderly women who are on their way to retirement.
According to the detectives, the suspect, who carried out his operations in Nairobi, targetted vulnerable women who are about to receive their pension giving them a false promise of a love-filled retirement.
The women would then be duped into starting businesses with the conman who disappeared with their entire savings.
"He targets lonely women who are about to receive their pension before showering them with sweet nothings and promises of a blissful retirement together," the DCI noted.
The DCI gave an instance of how one woman fell into the suspect's prey after she was tricked into giving Ksh780,050 from her pension scheme.
The detectives detailed that the man allegedly tricked her into a love affair and urged her that they should start a water refilling business.
"Oblivious of his intentions, the woman gave him the money to start it, and that marked the beginning of her woes. What started as a blossoming love story and a joint retirement venture ended in premium tears.
"The relationship immediately crumbled like a house of cards after the man disappeared with the entire amount. Efforts by the woman to reach her newfound love hit a dead end after his phone went off and her messages were left unanswered," read part of the statement.
The DCI pointed out that the woman later tracked and confronted the suspect. The man defended his actions claiming that the business had crumbled after it had been taken over by an insurance company - in order to pay an unspecified debt.
The directorate urged any other victim who has fallen prey to the said suspect to report the matter at the Special Crimes Unit at the DCI headquarters.
Perpetrators have in the recent past devised nifty tactics in order to lure their victims and carry out their heinous schemes.
This has seen reports of such criminal activities become prevalent within the country.
