A Kenyan man claims he was conned out of his savings by a person posing as a 28-year-old white woman named Maria Bianca. According to the man, Maria Bianca contacted him via text message, stating she had found his number on Facebook and was interested in a long-term relationship.
The man, whose story was shared by Eric Djemba, said he was initially skeptical but decided to play along, hoping to learn more about Maria Bianca. Over the course of two months, they chatted and called each other, with Maria Bianca claiming to be working as an expatriate in Turkana.
As their supposed relationship progressed, Maria Bianca told the man she would be visiting him in Rironi after a holiday in Maasai Mara. However, on the day of her alleged visit, she called to say her car had broken down and needed repairs. The man was then asked to speak with a mechanic, who claimed Maria Bianca's car had hit a rock and damaged its fuel tank.
The mechanic allegedly told the man that Maria Bianca had only a Mastercard and no cash, and that he needed 8,000 Kenyan shillings to fix the car and buy fuel. The man, not wanting to appear cheap, decided to sell one of his family's goats to raise the money.
After sending the money via M-Pesa, the man discovered that it had gone to a person named Hannington Mwangi, not Maria Bianca. Efforts to contact Maria Bianca were unsuccessful, and the man realized he had been scammed.
- The man lost 8,000 Kenyan shillings in the scam.
- He also sold one of his family's goats to raise the money.
- The scammer used the name Maria Bianca and posed as a 28-year-old white woman.
The man's story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of romance scams and the importance of being vigilant when interacting with strangers online.
