This archive report was first published on 13 July 2019.
On Friday, a resident of Embu town, Njue Nthia, was swindled out of Sh1,500 by a stranger who gave him a fake Sh1,000 note. This incident is part of a larger scheme in which several unsuspecting residents have lost their hard-earned money to a fake money syndicate in Embu town.
According to Embu North Sub County Commander Godfrey Kere, the suspects planned to use the fake notes to swindle unsuspecting residents, mostly elderly people who are yet to interact with the new notes. The police have urged residents to follow the Central Bank of Kenya's advice on how to distinguish the security features of the new currency notes.
CBK introduced the new currency during the Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1, 2019. The arrest comes after locals complained of being swindled their cash by people taking advantage of their ignorance. 'They know we still don’t know the new banknotes and are taking advantage of locals mostly the elderly,' said one of the victims.
Initial investigations showed that the suspects were taken to Manyatta Police Station and will be arraigned once investigations are through. The police have also warned residents to be cautious and to verify the authenticity of the new currency notes.
