Four suspected Mpesa conmen arrested in Kisii

Customers queue outside an M-Pesa shop in Nairobi
Customers queue outside an M-Pesa shop in Nairobi

Four suspected fraudsters were arrested on Tuesday after they attempted to con an Mpesa dealer at Keumbu area, Kisii county.

Simiyu Robert, Martin Omwenga, Evans Oringa and Edwin Anyona

were nabbed by plain-clothed police officers following a tip-off by locals.

Bungoma AP commandant Paul Soi told journalists at his office that the four have been on police's most wanted list.

He said they are suspected to be part of a syndicate of notorious fraudsters who have been conning Mpesa dealers by pretending to be Safaricom customer care agents.

Soi said that the four, who were transferred to Bungoma after their arrest, have robbed Mpesa dealers millions of shillings.

"It is here that they committed their recent crime. They robbed an Mpesa agent in Bungoma town a lot of money," Soi said.

The police boss said that they had tracked the suspects for some time following past incidents reported to the authorities.

"Their mode of operation is in a way that they remove money from an agent and claim to have deposited in a wrong number. They make calls to their friends posing as customer care agents," he said.

Soi said the group mostly operates in Bungoma, Kitale, Migori , Eldoret, Kisumu , Naivasha, Isebania, Eldoret, Kisii, Sotik , Rongo, Nakuru, Kabarnet and Kapsabet.

The officer urged Safaricom to train agents on how to detect a fraudulent transaction, and that each of them be advised to adhere to Mpesa transaction rules.

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He asked agents who have been duped and robbed of cash to report to Bungoma police station.

Soi said that police are still pursuing the ringleader of the gang who is believed receives all the loot.

"We have details of the ring leader. He is said to operate from within the western region. We are pursuing crucial links that will lead to his arrest soon," he said.

Mpesa outlets have been a target by gangsters - some of them suspected to be colluding with - since the mobile banking system was unveiled.

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