A couple on Wednesday, March 10, revealed how Kenyans working in the diaspora are working with local mobile money fraudsters to defraud unsuspecting landlords.
In a documented account, the couple asked the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to help them track down a Kenyan based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The woman revealed how a post of their rental property on an online platform led the con artists to them.
"DCI, we have been conned by an individual pretending to be in Kinshasa using the phone number +243 998 *** on WhatsApp and a female accomplice based in Kenya. Kindly help," the proprietor wrote.
She explained that the suspected conman reached out to them, purporting to be interested in renting the house advertised. However, he informed them that he was in Kinshasa and could not physically view the house.
The suspect claimed that his brother had already done due diligence and given a positive report, and consequently asked how he could make a down payment.
"My husband sent him bank account details after which he sent us a paper purported to be a receipt confirming the transfer of Ksh140,000 deposit and five months rent," the statement read in part.
However, their 'prospective tenant' called shortly after and made a special request concerning part of the money paid.
"He claimed that his supposed accountant sent an excess of Ksh36,000 and asked my husband to send his wife Ksh15,000 to allow her to move into the house the next day. My spouse obliged," the landlady wrote.
However, after transferring the money to a mobile money wallet registered under 'Flomena' her spouse realised that the Ksh140,000 had not reflected in his account.
They contacted the suspect who insisted that he had made the transaction. The con artist would then inaccurately identify the house he claimed his brother visited on his behalf.
"We call the guy and he says the house he viewed was 3rd floor. All floors are occupied other than a ground floor house. We realized we had just been conned," she claimed.
Efforts to have the mobile transaction reversed were futile as the service provider confirmed that the money had already been withdrawn.
