By Grace Gilo
Following the Wednesday arrest of six suspected cybercriminals, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has uncovered how the suspects stole from victims’ bank accounts. Six Cybercrime Suspects Nabbed in High-Tech Caller ID Spoofing Fraud Syndicate
In one case reported at the Nyahururu Police Station on January 17, 2025, a man lost Sh 3.4 million to the fraudsters. Another woman discovered a zero balance in her account, having lost Sh 1.8 million on the morning of March 14, 2025.
At Nakuru’s Mwariki Police Station, a third victim reported a loss of Sh 1.3 million on April 7 after receiving a call from someone he believed was a customer service agent, given the phone number used to contact him. An elderly woman experienced the same fate on the same date, losing Sh 1.2 million.
The ongoing investigation has revealed that the gang primarily targets the bank accounts of retirees, especially women, striking swiftly as soon as their pension benefits are credited.
“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 Sh 2.3M to the miscreants,” stated the DCI.
Similarly, another employee of the County Government of Nakuru lost Sh 1.6 million, while another lost Sh 1.5 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,” DCI revealed.
Authorities have established that Dominic Langat, also known by the alias Solobwek, has primarily been operating using the phone numbers 0750000040 and 073433335.
These numbers have been involved in transactions exceeding a million shillings daily since April.
In this well-coordinated fraud operation, Fortune Kinyanzui charges his accomplices Sh 16,000 daily for airtime to recharge the spoofing accounts and takes a cut of between Sh 30,000 and Sh 120,000 depending on the day’s take.
“Solobwek pays the other gang members between 10% and 15%, depending on how much they bring,” DCI added.
The investigation is still ongoing to identify any more culprits or victims and to uncover how the stolen money was withdrawn and shared amongst the perpetrators in cash.