How cyber criminals swept clean victims’ accounts, shared proceeds
Details have emerged how arrested suspects swept clean their victims’ accounts and shared proceeds.
Following the Wednesday arrest of six suspected cybercriminals, it has been established how the suspects’ sweet but venomous tongues pushed a cruel arm to the bank accounts of their targets, sweeping them clean and leaving behind shattered lives.
According to police, in one case reported at Nyahururu Police Station on January 17, 2025, a man lost Sh3.4 million to the swindlers, while another woman woke up to a zero balance and Sh1.8 million poorer in the morning of March 14, 2025.
At Nakuru’s Mwariki Police Station, a third victim reported the loss of Sh 1.3 million on April 7 after a call with a person he believed was a customer service agent, given the phone number used to contact him.
The same fate befell an elderly woman who lost Sh1.2 million on the same date.
The ongoing investigation has further revealed how the gang has been targeting bank accounts of retirees, especially women, striking like rattle snakes as soon as their pension benefits are debited.
An instance is that of a 63-year-old former employee at the Ministry of Lands who, after decades of service, went home with an empty bag having lost Sh2.3 million to the miscreants.
In a similar con game, another employee of the County Government of Nakuru lost Sh1.6 million and another Sh1.5 million.
Such are the chilling accounts analysed just hours after the gang’s arrest, whose lives have been turned upside down by the masterminds Dominic Kipkoech Langat and Fortune Muthina Kinyanzui.
Further established is that Dominic Langat, who also goes by the alias name Solobwek, has mostly been operating using the numbers 0750000040 and 073433335, which have been transacting monies in excess of a million daily since April.
In the well-coordinated fraud, Fortune Kinyanzui charges his web of accomplices Sh16,000 daily as airtime to recharge the spoofing accounts, and between Sh30,000 and Sh120,000 as his share depending on each day’s kill.
Solobwek pays the other gang members between 10% and 15% depending on how much they bring on the bloody table.
The investigation is still ongoing with a view to identify any more culprits or victims, and uncover how the stolen money was withdrawn and shared amongst the perpetrators in cash.
The six were arrested in an operation in Mombasa at an apartment as they were being trained on cyber attacks. Police said they specialize in spoofing.
They are in custody pending ruling on the probe.