More than white lies: The tricks of foreign con artists

By Moses Michira

She wears the mask of a wealthy, generous and honest — even naïve — woman, who works for the United Nations. By the time she sends a seemingly cursory request for money to sort out an emergency, she would have met her victims in Nairobi several times and gained their confidence. She also knows that in the mind of some Nairobians the colour of her skin is sufficient assurance of her credibility.