Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has apprehended five individuals suspected to be part of a mobile money fraud syndicate that has been targeting agents across the country. The arrests were made by detectives from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau and the Operation Action Team, following a surge in complaints from mobile money shop attendants who have fallen victim to elaborate scams.
According to DCI Director Mohamed Amin, the intelligence-led operation led to the arrest of suspects from various locations, including Munyaka, Tiwani, Hawaii, and Kimumu in Eldoret, as well as Kibosi in Kisumu. The suspects were found with several SIM cards registered under different names and assorted mobile phones. Their vehicle, a Toyota Premio, was also intercepted and detained.
Amin noted that the suspects are being taken to various police stations where fraud cases have been reported, beginning with the Ruai police station. “This ongoing operation is part of our wider effort to dismantle fraud networks that prey on unsuspecting mobile money agents,” he said.
Mobile money fraud remains a persistent and evolving threat in Kenya, with fraudsters employing increasingly sophisticated tactics. These include social engineering, where scammers pose as distressed customers and trick agents into bypassing verification steps, and impersonation, where they pretend to be officials from mobile service providers to extract sensitive information like PINs.
Other common methods include SIM swap fraud, where criminals acquire agent SIM details and fraudulently request a replacement to access accounts; fake SMS confirmations, which mimic genuine transaction messages to trick agents into releasing funds; and fake reversal requests, where fraudsters exploit agents’ goodwill to reverse non-existent or unauthorized transactions.
Agents are urged to verify all transactions through official platforms and remain vigilant against suspicious calls or requests. Authorities continue to advise mobile money operators to follow strict verification procedures and to report all fraudulent activities to the police promptly.
The latest arrests underscore the DCI’s commitment to curbing mobile money fraud and protecting agents from financial losses. Investigations are ongoing, with more arrests expected as authorities dig deeper into the syndicate’s operations.
