A daring exposé by Citizen TV has shed light on the illegal call center run by inmates at Kamiti Maximum Prison.
You may have come across random messages from new numbers asking for money using all the possible excuses. If you are not keen enough you could fall victim to their tricks.
Recently, a Kamiti Maximum Prison convict defrauded a desperate job seeker Ksh800,000. He confessed that he swindled a woman the money while serving a life sentence with the promise of connecting her to a lucrative job at State House.
Loulou Hassan visited the place and got to learn how they run their businesses. An informer revealed to her that they have a specific block where they carry out their operations. And snitches are not allowed anywhere near the premises.
The inmates uses a specific China-based handset that has unique features that facilitate their work; the magic voice. With this, one can alter their voice during a phone call to make them sound like a man, woman, or child. So it becomes easier to speak to their unsuspecting preys.
The informer also revealed how they draft messages which they send randomly by guessing phone numbers. “Trick ni una draft message kwa number 1000, unaanza na 0720 mpaka ya mwisho. Itapata mtu amekufa au mteja lakini haukosi kunasa mtu,”
Others pretend to be expecting goods from abroad and ask you to collect them on their behalf. And they give you a token of appreciation in return.
David Tett
David Tett was in 2013 sentenced to death following three charges of robbery with violence against his own father. Tett is a foster son to former assistant minister Betty Tett. His sentence was later reduced to fifteen years in September 2021.
David has been making use of his stay at Kamiti by coning unsuspecting Kenyan women. He has mastered the art of coning using a foreign accent he had acquired while he lived at Australia.
He forges a relationship with his client on the phone, plays along until he starts soliciting money claiming that he has run out of fuel. And would you be gracious enough to send money? He would refund.
“Ikifika hapo anamuambia amefika Lodwar amekwama hana mafuta na ako na MasterCard, hana cash,” said the informer. A lot of people end up sending the money as they look forward to meet their newfound love.
Outside Kenya
Very many Somalis from Mogadishu, Somaliland, Puntland, and Kismayo fall prey and send thousands of money, in the name of securing their future in search of greener pastures.
This is a trick that always works because a lot of people are wallowing in unemployment. And would do anything just to secure a job.
Wardens involvement
The source, speaking to Citizen TV, disclosed that each warder at the particular block pockets about Ksh. 5000 a day. Also, once they make enough money from their victims, they throw parties that involve drug use.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, police spokesperson has said that the issue has been there for long. It is not the first time. The problem at Kamiti has been there for the longest time and we have always been trying to dismantle that network with the help of the prison authorities. We shall also look into it and we have received a lot of scams during the recruitment of police recently.
Have you ever been coned by the Kamiti convicts?