Tala loans app senior manager conned out of Sh9m by boyfriend

The fraud suspect is alleged to have met the woman on an online dating site. [File, Standard]

A senior manager of money lending firm, Tala, is ruing the day she fell in love with a foreign national, who has allegedly conned her out of her Sh9 million.

Police have since arrested the suspect, a Ghanaian national, who is awaiting arraignment.

The victim recently met the suspect, identified by the DCI as Victor Anane, on an online dating site.

“The Ghanaian introduced himself as a preacher who performs miracles, and who would help the senior manager get promoted at her workplace instantly,” the DCI said on Twitter on Tuesday, June 1.

Anane is also alleged to have told his victim her fortunes would increase if she falls in love with him. The woman obliged.

“As their love blossomed, the lady was invited to the man’s residence at Transview Estate in Athi River,” said the DCI.

The detectives claim the victim had already given her boyfriend Sh9 million “in unclear circumstances”.

“Some of the money she is believed to have given him had been obtained from accounts belonging to [her employer], Tala agencies,” said the DCI.

Upon visiting her lover at his Athi River home, the woman was shocked to find witchcraft-related paraphernalia in the house.

“What was meant to be a romantic date turned ugly as the woman demanded to know how the man of the cloth she had fallen in love with possessed paraphernalia associated with dark powers,” said the DCI.

The DCI says it was then that the woman discovered she had been conned out of her Sh9 million.

“Detectives raided the suspect’s house where the paraphernalia related to witchcraft was recovered.”

The law enforcement officers further obtained Sh76,000 in fake currency and other materials used in printing fake notes.

“The investigators further established that the suspect, who masquerades as a preacher, approaches innocent women looking for love and affection online, with promises of making their lives better before fraudulently obtaining money from them,” said the DCI.

The suspect, who is being detained at a Nairobi police station, will be charged with obtaining money by false pretenses soon, the DCI said.