Dark tech log

Dark tech log

Let's talk “Kamiti cons”

Last year, a close relative of mine studying at Egerton University fell victim to a scam and lost KSH 4,000 from her Safaricom sim card. How did this unfortunate incident occur, you may wonder? It all began with a seemingly innocent phone call from an individual claiming to be a Safaricom employee. Exploiting her fatigue after a dull class,

the imposter informed her that her sim card had been mistakenly registered twice. In her state of mind, she failed to think clearly, and the fraudulent individual manipulated her into following a series of steps that eventually led to her unknowingly transferring money to the scammer using a platform “Pochi La Biashara” , which she had never heard of before.

This country is flooded with stories of people falling victim to scams, and this particular incident is just one among the many that have come to my attention. Since the inception of this news platform, I have been eager to shed light on this issue due to its widespread impact on countless individuals. From my younger days, I would often hear rumors that these scams were orchestrated by prisoners in Kamiti. Intrigued by these claims, I embarked on thorough research. During my investigation, I stumbled upon an enlightening investigation by Lulu Hassan from Citizen TV, where she had meticulously examined this very topic. So, I urge you to join me on this enlightening journey as we uncover more about these scams and their perpetrators.

Scammers have found an unexpected hub of criminal activity within the walls of Kamiti Maximum Security Prison in Nairobi. The illegal call center operated by convicts has become a thriving den of scams, with close to 2,500 prisoners involved in these criminal activities. With the convergence of technology and criminality, these inmates have mastered the art of deceiving unsuspecting victims through phone calls.

Receiving strange messages is a norm to many Kenyans, many of whom do not give much thought into it.Such texts as: ‘Hello Madam Mercy, I have sent 4.8 million via Western Union REF No. xxxx’ or this which I received just another day :

These messages are engineered behind ‘Kamiti call center’ and eventually land the inmates prey out of the many recipients who are cautious enough to ignore the calls to send money to unknown people.

From this investigation carried out one year ago we find that the warders at this specific block of Kamiti Prison reportedly make around Ksh. 5000 per day from their illegal activities. Once they successfully exploit their victims, the party continues with some engaging in drug use. Meanwhile, those who were not fortunate enough in their endeavors are relentlessly searching for their next target. It only takes one unsuspecting individual to fall into their trap. But what does it feel like when you find yourself on the receiving end of such deceitful schemes?

Nevertheless, it's not just Kenyans who become victims; numerous Somalis from Mogadishu, Somaliland, Puntland, and Kismayo also find themselves ensnared in these scams, sending substantial amounts of money, sometimes even reaching thousands or even millions, under the guise of securing a better future and pursuing opportunities in greener pastures.

Though a number of these scams come from Kamiti Prison, Some of them are done by citizens outside these walls.

In a notable incident last year, Peter Mwanzo, a prominent senior Nairobi police officer, fell victim to a mobile money fraud scheme. The scammers executed a SIM card replacement remotely, resulting in the unauthorized transfer of 597,100 Kenyan shillings from his account. This particular technique, commonly known as sim swap, has become increasingly common in recent times.

Investigation by the rest of the world news there was an interview with a guy named Kevo though not his real name.The 34-year-old mobile money fraudster said that many Kenyans are oblivious to the capabilities and security features of M-Pesa, mobile banking, and fintech apps. Meanwhile, scammers study these systems intensely to identify loopholes.

“If you black out and I take your phone in the club, for example, or even if I get it just for a few moments and put it back, without struggling, I can see your M-Pesa balance in your messages and your Fuliza [overdraft] limit,” he said. “Remember, I can also get your ID, which has your ID number. With those details, I can go to the M-Pesa USSD [unstructured supplementary service data] menu, reset the M-Pesa PIN, access the account, and transfer funds wherever I want.” He added that this also allows him to take out mobile loans while posing as the victim.

Here are some of precautions to take to avoid this scams

Safaricom has come up with a few very simple rules and measures to ensure that your phone and more importantly, the information on your phone remains safe. Firstly, when it comes to your MPESA, the only person who should know your pin is you. Never tell it to anyone else, including anyone who claims to be from Safaricom. Pin Yako, Siri Yako!

If you do receive these fraudulent calls about your M-Pesa transactions, tell the person to contact Safaricom to reverse the transaction or to forward the MPESA message to 456 to reverse. If you suspect them to be a fraudster, immediately report their number by sending it in a text message to 333. Reporting these numbers helps ensure that they are investigated and blocked.

Safaricom will never ask you to share your passwords, whether it’s for your MPESA, bank or Sim. If they do, this is most definitely a scam and you can report the number and get it blocked.

Don’t give your phone to strangers at any cost, Ensure the phone is locked, that is it has either password , fingerprint or any other form of security.

In case you lose your phone, report to safaricom so it can't be replaced unless it's by you.

To get the full grasp watch this video by Lulu Hassan. [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNlT8G2RdcU ].

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