Eight people have been arrested in connection with an alleged SIM swap scheme that police say was used to steal more than Sh1.2 million from an M-Pesa operator in Marsabit.
SIM swap fraud is a form of financial crime in which fraudsters take control of a victim's mobile phone number, allowing them to intercept authentication messages and gain access to mobile money or banking services linked to that number.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspects were arrested in Marsabit South after detectives received intelligence linking them to the alleged fraud.
The suspects, comprising seven men and a woman, have been identified as Benrodgers Kyalo, Evans Mbweli, Patrick Vundi, Emily Mwende, Josephine Kasiva, Pius Mwenda, Alex Stima and Jane Mueni.
"The suspects were intercepted at the Merille Barrier in Marsabit South while travelling in a white Toyota Probox, registration KDN 708Q," the DCI said in a statement.
DCI detectives believe that the suspects executed the scheme by posing as genuine customers at an M-Pesa shop in Marsabit Town before allegedly manipulating the operator into surrendering control of the SIM card linked to his mobile money account.
“The group posed as customers at an M-Pesa shop where they are suspected of deceiving the operator before swapping the M-Pesa SIM card," the DCI said.
The alleged SIM swap enabled the suspects to gain unauthorised access to financial accounts linked to the operator's mobile number, resulting in substantial losses.
"The fraudulent SIM swap enabled unauthorised access to the complainant's bank account, resulting in the theft of over Sh1.2 million," said the DCI.
The suspects, together with the Toyota Probox, were escorted to Marsabit Police Station, where they remain in custody pending the conclusion of investigations.
The DCI subsequently used the incident to caution M-Pesa agents and members of the public against handing over their SIM cards, mobile phones or M-Pesa handsets to customers, warning that fraudsters often operate in groups and create distractions to execute their schemes.
"If a customer makes unusual requests or insists on handling your phone, treat it as a red flag," the agency said.
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