Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde is one of the latest victims of mobile phone fraudsters.
The fraudsters impersonated the administrator and started calling his contacts and other people in Kwale asking for money pretending they would give them government jobs.
Sometimes they asked for financial assistance.
The administrator revealed in the last three weeks, over Sh420,000 has been lost due to mobile phone fraud.
Orinde said the cases began a week before the recently concluded Kenya Wildlife Service recruitment.
Many people have fallen victim to the scams and Orinde advised residents to exercise caution.
"Cases of fraud are increasing across the country, but Kwale has been particularly affected this month. So, be vigilant," he said.
It is reported that majority of the victims took loans and others sold their property in order to secure the fake jobs.
The county administrator said that the conmen had established a network for their operations in Kwale.
The fraudsters use various phone numbers and voices to solicit for money from their victims.
Orinde cautioned residents against sending money to strangers who contact them via phone calls or text messages.
"Don't send money easily to people even if they claim to be me. Verify them and report such people to the police for action," he said.
He said government services are offered in public offices during normal working hours. Criminals impersonating him shall be hunted down and charged.
He added that government jobs are advertised through the right channels and anyone asking for a bribe should be reported and arrested.
Orinde said impersonating an officer is a serious offence and the perpetrators will face severe consequences.
He asked more victims to come out and report the cases for easy follow-up and for justice to prevail.
The county commissioner said that the appropriate security agencies are already working on the cases and that the perpetrators will be brought to justice shortly.
Orinde also said proper mechanisms are in place to thwart any form of insecurity in the region.
He said police patrols have been enhanced day and night and the general security remains intact.
Orinde advised residents to cooperate and report any illegal activities that might breach the area's security.
Governor Fatuma Achani cautioned youth against joining criminal gangs and other forms of crime.
Achani raised the alarm that the majority of prisoners in Kwale are youths aged 16 to 35 years.
"Shockingly, data from our prisons indicate that 80 per cent of the inmates are young people," she said.
Achani expressed concern that the same youths after serving their sentences end up repeating their crimes instead of reforming.
The governor decried that society was losing energetic youths through drugs and violent crime.
Achani urged the youth to mend their ways, emphasising that the law is unforgiving.
The governor said the path of criminal life is always short, and it was time for the youth to change for the better.
The county boss told young people to take advantage of county and national government empowerment programmes to improve their lives.
