Many people in Nairobi have a story to tell about how they have lost money through scams.
Some have lost millions and hundreds of thousands, while others have been conned out of their savings, however meagre the amount was.
Churchill Raw host MC Jessy spoke to Kenyans.co.ke about the many times he has fallen prey to con artists.
"I was looking for a smart phone but most of them were going for Ksh 8,000. After coming out of one one of the shops, someone approached me and said I could buy the phone at half the price being sold in the store.
"We negotiated and I agreed to buy it for Ksh 3,000. When I went home I discovered that I had bought a fake phone," he admitted.
In another incident, MC Jessy went to Gikomba to replenish his set of undergarments.
At the time he had just earned Ksh 6,000 from a gig and was feeling like a big spender.
He walked into one of the vibandas and selected about 4 pairs of the pieces of clothes.
"I don't know at what point they exchanged the boxers I bought with torn socks but I was shocked when I got home," he stated.
Jessy was also a victim in a popular pyramid scheme which involved recruiting unsuspecting clients who would register to start earning money easily.
The comedian invested a sum of Ksh 3,500 which he had saved over some time. He lost all his savings at the time.
The multi-level marketing plan is one of Kenya's most popular pyramid schemes and involves the recruitment of a large number of people through promises of wealth.
The cons employ a network of independent salespeople who sell products directly to people in their community.
These salespeople earn income based on their personal sales, as well as the sales of people they recruit to work for the company.
For example if *Mark recruits *Mary and *Joseph, he will get some of the money the two newcomers have invested. If Mary and Joseph recruit two more people each, they will earn a percentage from the 4 new people's investments.
"When I tell you that Nairobi has taught me a lesson, this is what I mean. I was very naive at that time," he concluded.
