Cyber-crime detectives arrest five notorious mobile money fraudsters

Narok County Commissioner George Natembeya (center) addressing Journalists in Narok accompanied by County Police Commander Thomas Ngeiywa (right) and his AP Commandant Lawrence Owino. [Robert Kiplagat/Standard]

Security personnel have arrested five suspected mobile phone money transfer fraudsters.

The five are suspected to be behind theft of millions of shillings across the country by pretending to be employees of a leading mobile phone company and local banks.

Addressing journalists at the county's Directorate of Criminal Investigations office, County Commissioner George Natembeya (right) said the suspects are aged between 19 and 27, majority of them primary and secondary school dropouts.

“We have been trailing them for some time now," said Mr Natembeya.

Mr Natembeya said the suspects conned their victims by placing random calls pretending to be mobile phone company or bank employees seeking personal banking details.

They then used the details to steal from the victims' account.

During the swoop, more than 500 mobile phone SIM cards and 12 mobile phones were recovered.

According to area Directorate of Criminal Investigations Officer Zachary Kariuki, a victim lost Sh2 million to the fraudsters.

A few months ago, cyber-crime detectives arrested six suspects linked to the syndicate in Mulot trading center, Narok West.

According to the security team, many of the cases rarely go to court as victims insist on getting their money back before testifying.