The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Wednesday, September 1, warned members of the public against common scams that fraudsters use to defraud innocent Kenyans.
In a statement, the authority disclosed that the online scams had become rampant and the office had received a number of cases.
The authority asked Kenyans to be wary of engaging in online transactions with companies, agencies or individuals without credible information about them.
The authority issued the following as some of the most common scams;
-Jobless Kenyans being lured on online platforms with the hope of getting jobs in the country or abroad.
-Online product vendors who disappear once they receive payments.
- Online car hires that fail to materialize after deposits are made.
-Online cash traders like forex exchange.
-Popular sites impersonating prominent individuals with an aim of misleading and extorting.
-Fraudsters making random phone calls while posing as service providers to cause panic to unsuspecting victims. They inform the recipients of possible security breaches to their bank accounts. Panicking, the victims end up revealing their confidential particulars.
-Agencies or individuals advertising non-existing rental houses and land for sale and asking for deposits while faking high demand.
The DCI warns that the perpetrators use different social media accounts or sim cards to contact different people, after which they would block and delete their accounts upon successful transactions.
"We urge the public to always and immediately report to their nearest Police Stations any time they lose their ID Cards, sim cards or mobile phones and laptops, personal documents including academic testimonials and driving licenses, and to obtain abstract forms thereby issued," cautioned the DCI.
