This archive report was first published on 3 August 2020.
On August 3, 2020, Nairobi police arrested a gang of four individuals posing as Safaricom and StarTimes employees.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) revealed that the gang was using a range of merchandise, including electronic gadgets and laptops, to lure victims into transferring money through M-PESA.
According to the DCI, the gang would target Safaricom and StarTimes customers, promising them fake rewards of mobile phones and other electronics.
Once the victims fell prey to the trap, the gang members would master their M-PESA pin number and transfer their money in the pretense of activating their accounts.
Police also seized a motor vehicle branded StarTimes, which was being used by the gang to lure victims.
“Some victims are asked to hand over their identity cards for registration and because a lot of Kenyans use their year of birth as their M-PESA pin, this makes it easier for the gang to wire the money without the victim’s consent,” police cautioned.
