Fraudsters are increasingly finding new ways to swindle unsuspecting Kenyans with the latest trend being conmen targeting tenants.
The con artists are now reaching out to tenants and requesting that they send their rent payments to a different bank account, paybill, or phone number, diverging from the usual payment methods.
One victim of this scheme shared his experience online, recounting how he fell prey to a fraudster who convinced him to transfer his rent to an alternate bank account.
However, upon sending the money, he began to suspect that something was awry and contacted the caretaker for clarification.
Regrettably, the caretaker confirmed that the account number for rent payments had not changed, making it clear that the tenant had fallen victim to a scam.
Stung by the incident, he rushed to his bank to report the case and request the lender to cancel the transaction. The bank requested him to file a report with the police first before any action could be taken.
"I rushed to the bank and they told me the account did not belong to them but the account had been flagged," he stated.
To help address the issue, the bank further asked him to write a letter to the branch manager and attach the Occurrence Book (OB) report, and submit the documents.
Subsequently, the victim was notified of a delay in receiving his refund as the police continued their investigations.
In response to the tenants' complaint, the local bank disclosed that the account number in question had been suspended.
Many Kenyans also shared similar experiences of con artists trying to defraud them.
"Rent Reminder: Dear tenant all rent payment is due in a few days. We have changed our rent payment method account name and number (details withheld)," read part of the message shared by online users.
"Please note that payment made to the previous account will no longer be accepted. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause," the message further read.
Banks have in the past cautioned Kenyans against falling for such scams.
Landlord associations, on the other hand, advise their tenants to verify any information before proceeding to make payment.
