Four suspects behind defrauding teachers of millions detained for 14 days
Four suspects behind swindling unsuspecting teachers millions of shillings on the pretext that they would be offered employment opportunities have been detained for 14 days.
This comes after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations(DCI) uncovered the cartel that has infiltrated the Teacher’s Service Commission database.
The detectives launched investigations into the scam following numerous complaints from teachers, who had been defrauded colossal sums of money in the shadowy deals.
“In a letter written by the Commission’s CEO on May 21, inviting DCI to conduct detailed investigations into the syndicate, Macharia revealed how fraudsters had opened several fake Facebook accounts in her name, and defrauded unsuspecting teachers millions of shillings, on the promise that she would offer them employment opportunities at a fee,” the DCI said in the statement.
According to preliminary investigations, the syndicate involving current and a former employee at the commission has left hundreds of teachers including the retired poor and hopeless after defrauding them their hard earned money.
It is believed that he recruited TSC principal accountant Jeremiah Musyoka Talu in his network making him share teachers’ personal information which he had retrieved discreetly from the Commission’s database.
With the information, Musyoka would use the CEO’s fake accounts to lure unsuspecting applicants.
“In order to convince the applicants that they are actually communicating with the CEO, they share with the applicant their personal information as captured in the database such as the schools where they had applied to teach and the subjects they have applied to cover,” the DCI said.
“Confronted with all these facts, the applicants fall for the trap hook, line, and sinker. They are asked to part with hundreds of thousands of shillings to secure the scarce opportunities, lest they are offered to other deserving applicants.”
One such teacher who had retired in Webuye, lost Sh.700,000 in the intricatenetwork that involved the cons, a shylock and crooked officials based at treasury’s pension department.
The teacher was approached by one of the conmen and was enticed into taking a loan from the Nairobi-based shylock.
The scammers took his personal details and used them to open an account bearing his name at a bank in Webuye.
The details were then shared with the crooked officials at the pension department who processed his pension and wired it to the account.
However, the money was immediately reverted to an account operated from Nairobi, where it was withdrawn.
“The retiree died shortly thereafter. Detectives are currently investigating 14 such cases, involving retirees who have lost their entire savings” added the DCI.
“Anyone who may have fallen victim to the suspects’ trickery craft, (photos attached) is requested to report to DCI’s Serious Crime Investigations Unit, and assist us in further investigations.”
