A 61-year-old retired teacher in Meru County lost Ksh7,595,309 to fraudsters promising returns on gold investments between February and April.
The victim, a former Teachers Service Commission employee, made multiple bank transfers and mobile money payments after being approached with what appeared to be a legitimate gold deal. Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Imenti North traced and arrested the prime suspect in Gakurine area of Meru County. Officers seized a grey Volkswagen Passat believed to have been bought with the proceeds.
The suspect is in custody awaiting arraignment while a search continues for his accomplices. The DCI warned the public about increasingly sophisticated scams targeting Kenyans with promises of high returns on gold investments.
Similar cases reported this year include a US national losing Ksh55.7 million and an Australian businessman losing over Ksh77 million to gold-related fraud.