NAIROBI,Kenya, Jul 5- Eight suspects have been arrested in Marsabit County over an alleged sophisticated SIM swap scheme that investigators say was used to steal more than Sh1.2 million from an M-Pesa agent.
The suspects were intercepted by detectives at the Merille Barrier in Marsabit South while travelling in a white Toyota Probox, following intelligence linking them to the alleged fraud.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said, preliminary investigations indicate that the group posed as ordinary customers at an M-Pesa shop in Marsabit Town before allegedly deceiving the operator into surrendering control of the M-Pesa SIM card.
“The fraudulent SIM swap enabled unauthorised access to the complainant’s Bank account, resulting in the theft of over KSh 1.2 million,” DCI said Saturday.
The suspects have been identified as Benrodgers Kyalo, Evans Mbweli, Patrick Vundi, Emily Mwende, Josephine Kasiva, Pius Mwenda, Alex Stima and Jane Mueni.
They were escorted, together with the vehicle they were travelling in, to Marsabit Police Station, where they remain in custody pending the conclusion of investigations and possible prosecution.
The arrests mark another breakthrough in efforts by detectives to dismantle organised criminal networks targeting Kenya’s mobile money ecosystem through increasingly sophisticated cyber-enabled fraud schemes.
Following the arrests, the DCI urged M-Pesa agents and members of the public to remain vigilant, warning that fraudsters often operate in coordinated groups to distract victims before executing SIM swap attacks.
The agency advised mobile money operators never to hand over their SIM cards, mobile phones or M-Pesa handsets to customers under any circumstances, regardless of the explanation offered.
Detectives further cautioned that customers who insist on handling an agent’s phone or make unusual requests should be treated as potential fraud suspects and reported immediately.
