Nairobbery: Tricks Con Artists Use to Initiate Newbies into The Capital City
If you are a resident of Nairobi who has not yet been initiated to the big city through tricks and con games that will leave you feeling embarrassed and stupid, do not celebrate just yet, for nobody knows the day or the time when the professional con artists will come knocking.
A majority of Kenyans have been conned at one point or the other while literally nearly every Nairobi resident has had an encounter with the city’s con artists in their life.
We set out to interview a few cases to alert you on the current trends of con games to keep you from falling victim and losing your hard-earned money to the professional con artists who are scheming new tricks every sunrise.
The first victim story was right in our office. Since she preferred to have her identity kept under wraps, we will call her ‘Chelsie’.
The Safety-Belt Tactic
“We were all seated in a minibus approaching the Central Business District (CBD). It was noisy and aired explicit music videos,” Chelsie says.
“Karao! Karao! Fungeni mishipi! (Cops! Cops! Buckle up!),” I heard some guy shout. Scared of getting arrested for not buckling up, I frantically began to search for the safety belt,” Chelsie says, adding that getting buckled took her several minutes.
“Immediately I was through buckling, the guy seated next to me wanted to alight, I squeezed myself to create room for him,” Chelsie says with a beaten look.
“I settled and decided to draw out my phone out of habit, it was not there,” Chelsie says adding that she emptied her bag onto her laps hoping she could find it to no avail.
“I even checked the floor of the moving minibus,” Chelsie says with a weak smile adding that when the whole ordeal began to unfold in her mind, she was mad at herself.
Chelsie’s phone was stolen as soon as she turned to buckle, the guy sitting next to her unzipped her bag, removed the phone and alighted before she could notice her bag was unzipped.
Chelsie’s experience is similar to that of con artists who sit next to you in a matatu and while passing their bus fare to the conductor, which is mostly in form of coins, pretend to drop some of it by mistake.
They request you to assist in looking for the ‘dropped coins’ and as you both bend to look for the lost monies, their partner in crime sited on your other side, unknown to you, floss your pockets, handbags and every hole that look promising.
READ ALSO: Land Buyers Losing Millions to Con Artists- Here are the Tricks
The Job Vacancy Cons
The unemployment rate in Kenya has been a bone of contention for decades with outgoing Governments walking home without delivering on their manifestos when it comes to job creation.
Con artists understand the desperation of Kenyans whose job is to seek jobs and prey into that desperation with unreasonable promises, Helen understands too well as a few months ago, she fell prey.
“I was hanging out with my friends around Agha Khan walk in the CBD while a guy approached us and thanked us for attending the interview,” Helen says in the midst of laughter, her shock has settled and pain subsided.
“He went ahead to say we could not interview on that day as the turnout was below his expectations but would reschedule to the following day,” Helen narrates adding that the strange guy took down their numbers and names to send them a message directing them to the room of audition the following day.
“We felt like