19 Nigerians have been arrested in a swoop in Umoja, Kasarani and Roysambu estates in Nairobi over suspected internet scam targeting Kenyan Facebook users. Detectives said the scam starts with a simple Facebook friend request.
After a target accepts the seemingly harmless request, the fraudsters then initiate a friendly chat promising the victim goodies to be sent through DHL at the airport.
The following day or thereafter the victim receives a call from someone pretending to be an attendant at the DHL office asking for payment of clearance fees for the promised parcel.
If a target sends the money through M-Pesa, another call is made requesting for another payment for other documentation and taxes. Once the payments are done, the fraudsters never pick their victims calls again.
Following the swoop on Saturday morning, detectives did not reveal the charges set to be levelled against the suspects and how much money Kenyans have lost in the social media scam.