Kenyans have fallen prey to a group of conmen perpetrating their rogue business under the guise of ‘Safaricom promotion’, especially in Nairobi’s city center.
Their conning art is nothing short of perfection.
They have two ways of making away with either your cash or valuables.
First, some of them will rob you, block your way and then run after you in a show they put up and make it look like you actually ran off with something that belongs to them.
Secondly, they will approach you and give you a card which they ask you to scratch and win a prize including a laptop and a smartphone.
As soon as you scratch the card, they direct you to an already waiting vehicle where you launch your claim for the prize won.
But as soon as you tell them of the prize you have won, they demand money to “process” whatever it is you have won.
All this; under the guise of ‘Safaricom promotion’.
But Safaricom has come out and strongly denied carrying out such promotions.
One victim, Naomi Susy tells it all at the hands of the con artists as Daily Nation reports.
“It was around 7:30 am. I was intercepted by several ladies at Tuskys, near Co-operative House.
They had some cards that had a provision for scratching. I ignored them and walked down the street, in a hurry to catch my matatu. The last ladies managed to convince me to participate in the ‘free Safaricom promotion’,” she recalls plaintively.
She scratched the card and was informed that she won a laptop and two phones.
Susy was later directed to a parked car at the August 7 memorial park where she was requested to provide her ID card and pay sh6, 000 upfront for the warranty to get her prize.
“They accompanied me to the bank and I withdrew the money and gave it to them,” she says adding that at this point, she believed they drugged her.
“After giving them the money, they asked me if I preferred the laptop or cash. I said Sh78,000 in cash. The catch was, I could only get the Sh78,000 if I gave them another Sh26,000, which would be reimbursed. In total, I would get Sh104,000.”
They claim some of the money is for warrant of the gadgets won.
“At this point, I realized that I had been conned. I requested to be given back my cash but somebody who said he was the supervisor told me, after insisting, that I could go to their head office for reimbursement.”
“He gave me a phone, an MIN-X, which I understand is not authorized by the communication authority and is worth Sh500, if not less,” she narrates.
She reported the matter at Central Police Station under OB number 49/17/06/17 but no action was taken.
She said that she approached the same people the same day and took their photos but they surrounded her and demanded she deletes the photos, not worried at all that they could be arrested.
“They said they were being protected by the police and there was nothing I could do to them.”
Another victim James Kutoto lost sh38, 000 under similar circumstances.
Speaking in response to the matter, Nairobi Police Commander Japheth Koome said he is not aware of such reports and that the victims have not reported.
“It is difficult to crack down on an issue when no one has complained. It would constitute harassment,” he said.
Gaming in the streets is a breach of the Constitution as it is prohibited under The Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act, in its Article 55.