A notorious gang that has been hacking people’s credit cards before using them to purchase bitcoins and convert them to Kenyan currency, have been arrested in Nakuru city.
Francis Maina Wambui Alias Nick, 26, and Zellic Alusa, 25, both students at Kenyatta university were arrested during the raid in the company of two young ladies, at an apartment in Nakuru’s posh Milimani neighbourhood.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the gang operating from houses in the affluent Milimani neighbourhood has been on their radar over the past few days.
“In the sophisticated crime that is gaining currency in the country, the students create fake email accounts which they use to hack credit cards of innocent persons especially those living in foreign countries and use them to buy bitcoins which are then converted to Kenyan currency,” stated DCI.
The students then use the money to live lavishly, entertain beautiful ladies and buy properties.
Among the documents recovered in the house was a land sale agreement entered on May, 25, for a property valued at Sh850,000 in Juja.
Five laptops, four mobile phones, two wifi gadgets, three hard drives and assorted SIM cards were also recovered.
Cyber forensic experts have since taken over investigations into the matter for a comprehensive analysis into the sophisticated crime.
In his address during the official opening of the DCI National Forensic Laboratory, His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta called for the strengthening of the Cyber and Digital forensic lab to deal with contemporary crimes that involve misuse of technology.
Bitcoin is a digital currency which operates free of any central control or the oversight of banks or governments.
