Details are emerging that modern day fraudsters usually cut an image of generous and suave people ‘who means well for you’.
Most people arrested recently on suspicion of obtaining millions of shillings by false pretences: Amass and display wealth, project yourself as close to those in power, harbour political ambitions, and give generously to charity.
An example is a man at the centre of a plot to secure the release two Iranian terror suspects from custody and smuggle them out of the country.
Wesley Kiptanui Kipkemoi was last week arrested alongside Ghanaian Shemgrant Agyei for allegedly attempting to defraud Iranian ambassador Hadi Farajvand of an unknown amount of money to secure the release of Sayed Mansour Mousavi and Ahamed Abolfathi Mohammed. The two are alleged to have introduced themselves to the envoy as senior Interior ministry officials in a position to secure the release of the suspects. The matter is in court.
It turns out Mr Kipkemoi is no stranger to controversy. In June 2017, Mr Kipkemoi was charged in a Mombasa court for impersonating an officer from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
Mr Kipkemoi had been arrested at Maasai Hotel in Nyali for threatening and intimidating public officers with arrest before extorting money from them.
John Ngiro, an EACC officer, said during the arrest, the suspect was found in possession of several ATM cards whose transactions were the subject of investigations.
It later emerged Mr Kipkemoi had tricked several people both in Kenya and abroad by posing as a top EACC official.
Sources within security circles
revealed Mr Kipkemoi is a well-connected former intelligence officer and has
many questions hanging about his career.
Then there is Joseph Henry Waswa, one of the seven men recently arrested on suspicion of conning Sameer Africa chairman Naushad Merali of Sh10 million by imitating President Uhuru Kenyatta’s voice in calls made to their victim.
Mr Waswa has been living the life. When he headed to Kitui County in December 2018 to pay dowry, he did it in the grandest of ways; with choppers forming part of the entourage. There were also four MPs at the function, among them Embakasi East lawmaker Babu Owino and the area MP Charles Nguna