This archive report was first published on 15 July 2019.
On July 15, 2019, an elderly watchman from Karurina area of Embu County lost Sh1,500 to a well-orchestrated con job involving exchange of loose change in cash with the new bank notes.
Njue Nthia, the victim, admitted that he gave out all the money in the con, which handed him new currency notes worth Sh2,000 that he later came to realise were all fake.
According to Njue, the con artist recognized him as a trader who used to sell second-hand clothes at Manyatta market of the same county, which lured his trust.
‘I was speaking to my relative on a street in Embu town when a blue car stopped near us and the driver stretched out his hand and greeted us. The driver who was about 50-years-old pretended to know me and offered to buy some tea before I entered into his car leaving my sister-in-law,’ Njue narrated the ordeal.
He said the car moved towards a hotel but on the way, the driver who was alone in the vehicle stopped and asked whether he had Sh500 that he could exchange with Sh1,000 note and Njue would sort himself later.
Njue gave him the money from his wallet, and the driver handed him Sh1,000 new currency notes. He requested whether Njue had another Sh1,000 in loose notes, and as a good friend, Njue gave him.
After the exchange, they parted ways, but Njue was amazed to hear that the Sh1,000 note was fake when he went to buy a soda and handed the cash to the shopkeeper.
‘I gave him the second note only to tell me it was also fake. He called passersby who also confirmed that the notes were not genuine. The shopkeeper punched the notes and was left without a word. I didn’t know there were fake new currency notes,’ Njue said.
