Airbnb Con Arrested in Police Operation in Kiambu

A prime suspect in a series of fraud cases reported in Nairobi, Kiambu, Kisumu and Mombasa counties by holidaymakers was Thursday arrested after detectives in Kiambaa, Kiambu County nabbed her at a bank lobby.

The 24-year-old Sheila Wakesho Matasa was arrested at the fast growing satellite town of Ruaka, as she sought assistance at a bank that had frozen her account over multiple suspicious transactions.

In a well choreographed scheme that has milked both local and foreign coast-goers to the bones, the daring Wakesho opened several social media platforms purporting to own a number of AirBnBs in the coastal region of Mombasa, drawing a followership of over 10k unsuspecting fun lovers.

Some of her accounts on Facebook include Lifestyle Beachfront AirBnB, Mombasa Raha AirBnB and Shah Tours. Notably, most of the information used to advertise “her” fancy Airbnb was plagiarized and the uploaded photos bear copyright ownership.

After netting her targets who could only reach her online, the quiet suspect with loud deals directed them to channel booking fees to Mpesa Till no. 8981656 or Paybill no. 400200 ACC name: 01100252088001, after which she would vanish leaving them stranded along beaches, bus stations, SGR terminals and airports.

So cunning has been Wakesho that she used multiple subscriber sim cards interchangeably to cover her tracks, which were registered in different names mostly using stolen ID cards. The numbers include 0708 901 010, 0799 661 708, 0799 605 774, 0707 920 971, 0742 521 046, 0788 370 306, police said and warned unsuspecting clients not to be conned.

In one of the incidents that finally gave her away after months of trailing, she obtained an unrevealed sum of money from a banker who would not let the money just go without a face and a name. After the foul play, the banker tipped the detectives who swiftly got their feet on her neck.

Following the arrest, DCI stations around the Nairobi region including DCI Kilimani, Kasarani, Thika, Kiambaa and DCI Kiambu are processing files for her arraignment, as she awaits collection by other counties where her crimes have been reported, police said.