The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Tuesday, November 19, issued a warning to members of the public over the alarming number of cases reported to their offices by victims of online fraud.
In a statement published on Twitter, the DCI advised Kenyans against risking their hard-earned income in online activities of which they had no certainty.
"Following the overwhelming reports of online fraud to our DCI Offices across the country, we wish to caution members of the public against engaging in online transactions with companies, agencies and/or individuals they have no credible information about," the statement read.
The office, headed by George Kinoti, identified a number of online activities and scenarios under which most Kenyans fell victim.
Most notable was, online groups luring jobless Kenyans with the promise of getting them jobs both locally and abroad, and online product and service vendors who disappear once payments are made in advance.
Also listed among fraudulent activities online included, online car hires that never materialise, online forex brokers, and social media profiles bearing the names of prominent people aimed at extortion and misleading the public.
The DCI also warned against fraudsters who make random calls informing people of bank and Mpesa breaches, thus prompting unsuspecting Kenyans to reveal confidential information.
Kenyans were also advised to watch out for non-existent agencies and individuals advertising and selling non-existent rental houses and plots at high prices and asked for deposits.
"The pursuit of these criminals is in most instances a lengthy procedure calling for Cyber-Forensic Interventions, mostly because perpetrators use different social media/Sim Cards to contact different people, after which they block & delete their accounts upon successful transactions." The statement read.
Kenyans were advised to always and immediately report to the nearest police station any time they lose their identity cards, sim cards, mobile phones, laptops, personal documents that included academic testimonials and driving licenses.
This, the DCI urged, would aid the police in investigations as well as strengthening the defence of the victim in case their credentials were used in an illegal activity.
