Dj Vnyash
Four Kenyans were charged on Wednesday, December 18, with multiple counts of forgery and conspiracy to defraud a foreign national of $100,000 (approximately Ksh12.9 million) in a fake gold scam.
The four suspects, two men and two women, allegedly orchestrated a complex scheme, posing as customs officials and representatives of legitimate Kenyan companies to convince the victim of their credibility.
According to a report by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the scam involved multiple countries, including Mali, and ultimately led to the victim losing over $5 million (approximately Ksh646 million). The victim, a Niger national with a business in Dubai, fell for the scam while trying to secure a 100kg shipment of gold between February and December 2024.
The fraudsters first deceived the victim by claiming that the gold consignment had been seized by customs in Nairobi. They convinced the victim to transfer the Ksh12.9 million to a supposed customs officer holding the shipment in Nairobi. The victim received an invoice from a fake logistics company in Nairobi confirming the gold’s possession. Believing the scam was legitimate, the victim sent the money and received a confirmation of receipt from one of the fraudsters.
During a subsequent trip to Kenya, the victim met the individuals he thought were holding his gold. However, when they started demanding more money, he became suspicious and reported the scam. Kenyan police launched an investigation, leading to the arrests of the four suspects on December 11.
The suspects were arraigned at Milimani Law Courts on Wednesday, where they pleaded not guilty. They were granted bail of Ksh500,000 each or a cash bail of Ksh200,000. The case is scheduled for mention on January 21, 2025.
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