Many Kenyans think they cannot be conned until they the day it finally happens to them. Quite a number of citizens have kept to themselves dark tales of how they fell victim to con artists who masqueraded as either family, friends, business partners, or service vendors.
On a November 28, 2019, episode of the Janjaruka Series, renowned actor and revered radio presenter Jacquey Nyaminde popularly known as Wilbroda narrated how she fell victim to a con scheme by a close relative.
Jackie who spoke to Kenyans.co.ke opening up about her ordeal conceded to being cheated out of money by her aunt, who she identified as Grace, in the name of securing jobs for two of her siblings.
The former Papa Shirandula actor revealed that prior to the incident, she had not been in contact with her aunt for a long time, especially after her uncle (husband to Grace) passed on and one day Grace showed up and became even closer to her family.
"After my uncle died she disappeared for a while and one day she reappeared and she contacts my mum and tells her she has these job connections at KQ, knowing my mum has daughters," Jackie narrated.
Grace had told them that she had sorted everything out and all she needed to secure the jobs was a Ksh40,000 fee per person.
To Jacquey and her family, this came as a blessing. Her aunt had become even closer to them, she would often visit and spend time at her house.
Grace did not appear suspicious at all, as Jacquey recalls, she wore a persona that portrayed her as stable and on the good graces of life.
"She even started visiting, she would come to my house and I would give her shoes, clothes. She got these football jerseys for my son," Jacquey intimated in the YouTube series.
"She put out this picture of someone who was doing really well, she would even have a cab and driver outside," Jacquey added.
The idea of two of Jacquey's sisters landing jobs at Kenya's national career appealed to them so much that they toiled and raised the money.
Grace got the two of them skirt suits for photoshoots, after which she informed them that there was room for three more people. Unbeknownst to them, she was further duping them into parting with more money.
"She admitted two of my sisters, all they need to go through is pay Ksh40,000 each. She even bought them skirt suits," Jacqoey narrated.
"We struggled and I struggled and we gave her Ksh80,000, and she said there is space for three more people. My sister called a friend, my mum called her cousin who had a child, and we got three more people," she revealed.
All this time, Grace would visit Jacquey at her place and they would have fun. She handed the documents that appeared so legit at the time, and suits for the new recruits too.
Upon reception of the final Ksh40,000 payment, Grace went under. They could not reach her via the mobile number.
"The number she used to call us with, it was not going through. We tried looking for her and we could not find her," Jacquey recounted.
At one time, the renowned actor met a man she had seen drop off her aunt and upon interrogating him, she learnt that Grace had only hired him for the day.
As if that was not enough, her sister was arrested and taken to the Lang'ata Police Station after the friend she had sold the idea of employment to, reported her to the police.
"My sister's friend who paid the Ksh40,000 called the cops on my sister. She was arrested and spent two days at the Lang'ata Police Station.
"We were trying to explain to the friend that we were also conned, she was like 'no', we plotted it with our auntie," she narrated.
The incident cost Jacquey's mother her relationship with a cousin she had sold the idea of employments to. She too accused them of colluding with Grace to scam them.
"My mum doesn't speak to her cousin anymore because the cousin thinks it was a collaboration," Jacquey revealed.
Jacquey stated that since the incident, they have never heard from Grace and what she did to them was a real wake up call.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, she admitted to being blinded by the fact that they were family which made her fail to see through the lie.
"I went back and asked my self, since when do you get a KQ job just like that? There would be so many people working if that was the case," Jacquey stated.
They contemplated having law enforcement track her but opted to let the matter go.
