New Zealand National Reveals Role in Multi-Million Fraud Scheme Run by Kenyan Scammers
A New Zealand national recently testified in court, shedding light on how Kenyan scammers used him as part of a complex fraudulent scheme to steal millions of shillings from unsuspecting victims in Kenya.
The 44-year-old man appeared before Judge Garry Collin on Friday, February 21, 2025, and explained that between 2022 and 2023, he was lured into a scam operation by a group of Kenyans who operated fake Facebook profiles.
These profiles were used to deceive people into believing they were legitimate sellers offering high-value items for sale.
According to the man, he worked alongside the scammers to create fake Facebook accounts and list items such as homes and shipping containers for sale on the platform’s marketplace.
The scammers would then instruct their victims to pay a deposit for the goods, but once the payments were made, the victims never received the promised items.
The New Zealand national’s main role in the scam was to open bank accounts where the fraudulent payments could be deposited.
After receiving the money, he would then send a portion of the funds to the Kenyan scammers via money transfer services like WorldRemit and Skrill.
Investigations revealed that the suspect had transferred Ksh1.5 million through his Skrill account and Ksh1.4 million via WorldRemit, all of which were sent to the Kenyan scammers.
The investigation further uncovered that one of the victims had sent Ksh450,000 for a portable cabin advertised for sale on a platform that was falsely registered under the suspect’s name.
Another victim transferred Ksh290,000 as a deposit for a 20-foot shipping container that was supposedly to be shipped to New Zealand, but neither the portable cabin nor the shipping container ever arrived.
One of the victims who appeared in court shared his experience, stating that he had tried to inspect the shipping container in person before completing the sale, but the scammers only provided him with photos of the item.
Another victim expressed regret and frustration, admitting that while it seemed clear to him that the deal was a scam, he chose to trust the New Zealand national because he appeared to be a trustworthy person.
“I have no sympathy for the offender, and this has caused me significant financial stress,” one victim told the court. “We want our money back. This was a deliberate act of cruelty, and I don’t want an apology,” the victim added, voicing their anger.
Despite the emotional testimony and calls for a strict punishment, the defendant’s lawyer asked the judge to consider a sentence of home detention. The lawyer argued that the suspect showed remorse for his actions and had complied with the conditions of his electronically monitored bail.
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