Top 10 Tricks Conmen Will Use To Steal From You In Nairobi

By Soko Directory Team / Published March 17, 2023 | 11:11 am

KEY POINTS

These areas have become more dangerous of late:

~ Allsopps (Naivas, Ruaraka)

~ Drive-in (up to KCA)

~ KCA University underpass

~ ABC Place

One, there is a trick where guys drop coins in a matatu and as you help pick, your pockets or bag is being emptied within seconds, and before you know it, they are off.

Two, in matatus guys suddenly shouts there is a crackdown and people should fasten their safety belts, as you struggle to look for yours, your pockets are being emptied. Some even pretend to help you fasten the belt while their other hand is busy in your pocket or bag.

Three, beware of guys reading newspapers in matatus spreading them to you, or carrying big envelopes (x-ray type) and placing them covering you or part of your bag or pocket.

Four: You meet a guy(s) in town asking for KCS (KENYA CHARITY SWEEPSTAKE) house with a heavy Meru accent. Tells you he has won 100k or 200k and shows you the ticket. Tells you since he doesn’t have the id you collect the money for him and take maybe half or a quarter (depending on how greedy he thinks you are). You go to the offices but before you get in he insists you have to leave him some security since he doesn’t know you, either some money or valuable, maybe a phone. The card is fake.

Five: Some guy drops an envelope with cash, and another picks it up and tells you to go and share, they will either take you to a corridor and rob u or give you the envelope to go into a Kanjo toilet to divide but they will insist you leave them with your valuables. The envelope contains papers and a single visible note of money.

Six: Guys playing cards by swapping them. One is thrown down and you are requested to help pick. They pretend to thank you by giving you 200bob but you have to show the equivalent. Then tells you to show the right card and you can never win. The guys around them are their accomplices. Don’t be fooled. (Embakasi bypass outside Nakumatt).

Seven: There is an old lady who will approach you, and request you to dial a number for her son so she picks her. You dial the number and it goes through but isn’t picked up. You leave and get into a matatu. Unknown to you the accomplice(s) gets into the same matatu, claims his phone has been stolen, and asks one to dial his number (your number), your phone rings, and before you explain or prove anything, the mob is acting on you properly. (Kencom Ambassador area).

Eight: A person stops you and asks for directions to a Media house or stadium or Uhuru Park or children’s home where he says he is headed and he is a popular man of God. Before you tell him anything another person (accomplice) passes by and pretends to know him from the good work he does for charity and helping people. You are then told a lot of problems that you have and told to either pray somewhere or help a beggar leaving you to belong to them, or some brainwashed and part with money.

Nine: Receive some sms claiming, ‘Auntie or uncle, mtoto ameumwa na nyoka nitumie 50bob airtime nipigie mtu wa boda boda. Hii ni maabusu ya kamiti.’

Ten: You receive a call from a person claiming to be from Safaricom who wants to activate an M-Pesa service for you where you can reverse money directly in case you send it to the wrong number. He tells you to go to ATM withdrawal in the M-Pesa Menu and key in either 555 555 or 286286. (Pesapoint and equity agent numbers respectively.) you get an authorization code which they tell you to read for them to finish the activation of the service for you. They even warn you that your pin is your secret and you should not even give it to them. NB: M-Pesa ATM withdrawals only require the authorization code and your number for the transaction. With that the conmen clear your account.

About Soko Directory Team

Soko Directory is a Financial and Markets digital portal that tracks brands, listed firms on the NSE, SMEs and trend setters in the markets eco-system.Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/SokoDirectory and on Twitter: twitter.com/SokoDirectory

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