The police have revealed dubious ways which fraudsters are using to scam desperate families in search of their missing kin.
In a media report by a local TV station on Saturday, October 16, Migori County Police Commander, Mark Wanjala, stated that there was a growing trend of fraudsters taking advantage of the families who are in frantic search of their loved ones.
The police boss added that they were pursuing two suspected fraudsters who are alleged to be the mastermind of the well-orchestrated money fleecing scheme. He noted that the fraudsters often impersonate police officers or pretend to be good samaritans ready to offer help.
"This is not the first time, it has become a habit of someone calling themselves a police officer. There was a time they called someone to claim that there was a woman who was injured and they needed money to take the woman to hospital in Kisii," the police boss revealed.
Wanjala added that the two scammers almost defrauded the family of Mary (not her real name) who has been missing for over a month.
"Even this one for the form three student, we have received calls asking if we have an officer by the name Davis Onchogo and we do not have any officer like that. We are trying to locate that person to know where they are located," Wanjala stated.
According to Mary’s mother, Rose Kambo, the family received a call from two men who purported to be a police officer and a doctor demanding money to cater for the transportation of the missing student to Nairobi.
"The father got a call from a person claiming to be an OCS in Migori who stated that they had found the girl and she was in a delicate situation. They wanted us to send money to the doctor so that she can be transported to Kenyatta hospital," Kambo explained.
The mother added that she got suspicious after the two were hesitant to hand over the phone to her daughter.
"When I talked to the doctor, I asked him if I could talk to my daughter but I was told that she was unconscious," she recounted.
According to the police, the fraudsters are believed to be active social media users who get details of missing persons on various social media platforms.
"Please stop this because these families are genuinely searching for their loved ones. You are trying to con us yet we do not have money to offer," Mary's relative lamented.
