Police in Tharaka Nithi County have arrested four people accused of swindling a man Ksh251,000 in a scam carried out under the name of Social Health Authority (SHA) officials.
In a statement on 31st October the DCI said that the suspects posed as staff of SHA, complete with fake identification cards, branded T-shirts, and official-looking documents.
“A group of fraudsters masquerading as officials from the Social Health Authority has been arrested after defrauding a victim of Ksh251,000 in a well-planned scheme,” read part of the DCI statement.
According to investigators, the suspects approached the victim with an excuse of helping him register for the new health scheme.
During that process, they allegedly convinced him to surrender his phone, saying they needed it to complete the registration.
Moments later the victim’s phone went off and when he went to his SACCO to make a transaction, he was shocked to learn that all his savings, amounting to Ksh251,000, had vanished.
The investigation led detectives to Marimanti, where the officers tracked down and arrested the four suspects.
They were found in possession of several SHA-branded items, including T-shirts, name tags, membership cards, information leaflets, and multiple SIM cards.
Police also seized a Toyota Prado believed to have been used in the operation. Another number plate was recovered inside the vehicle, raising suspicions about the activities of the group.
The DCI said the suspects are in custody and will be charged once investigations are complete.
Detectives are also pursuing leads to identify other possible victims and accomplices linked to the fraud network.
Police have called upon the general public to be aware and to always verify the authenticity of anybody claiming to represent the Social Health Authority before releasing any personal information or making any payments.