A tourist destined for Kenya lost a huge sum of money amounting to Ksh796,000 through online fraud while trying to cancel a flight destined for Nairobi.
A report filed at Chitalsar Police Station in India indicated that the tourist had booked a plane to Nairobi, where he was to connect to another flight headed to Mombasa for a vacation.
For the trip, the tourist booked tickets for Saturday, April 29, and May Friday 5 and paid a total of Ksh242,643.
The tourist, however, got other engagements and tried cancelling the ticket, but during the process, his account was wiped clean by online scammers.
According to the police report, the tourist tried reaching the airline but hit hurdles prompting him to use Google Search for alternative means to cancel the flight.
Based on online results, he dialled the number presented and was informed that another team would contact him to facilitate the refunding process.
"He dialled the number and was told that the airline’s technical team would get in touch with him and facilitate the refund," the report read in part.
Scammers who were running the syndicate later called and informed him that he was eligible for a refund but was instructed to download a mobile application to facilitate the process.
The scammers then used the app to access his account and wiped out over Ksh796,000.
Indian Law enforcement officers launched investigations into the incident and a suspect was yet to be apprehended by the time of publishing.
A report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers, an international professional service provider, observed a surge in online fraud.
The 2022 survey indicated that 1,296 executives across 53 countries and regions were concerned over the rise in outlawed online activities targeting their firms.
They called on different governments to implement measures to protect citizens and even their companies.
