NAIROBI, Kenya (Jan 10) – Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested 30-year-old Charles Kuria Kamau after he orchestrated a sophisticated fraud scheme using stolen Kenyan national identity cards.
The arrest came after a theft was reported from a locked motor vehicle on January 3. Following an investigation, detectives traced Kamau to his residence in Hilton Estate, Ruiru Township. During a search, authorities recovered 96 original Kenyan national ID cards, 10 counterfeit Samsung foldable phones, several SIM card plates, and other suspected stolen goods.
The DCI revealed that Kamau used the stolen national IDs to register fraudulent accounts on the online marketplace Jiji. Posing as a legitimate seller, Kamau advertised genuine Samsung foldable phones, only to replace them with counterfeit versions after the sale. Victims, unaware of the switch, were defrauded of their money, and by the time they discovered the scam, Kamau had already covered his tracks.
As investigations continued, it became clear that Kamau had intentionally misdirected authorities by using other people’s IDs to create the fraudulent accounts. Currently, he is being held at Ruaraka Police Station, while the DCI Starehe unit investigates further.
Authorities believe more victims may have been affected by Kamau’s scheme. The public is encouraged to report any such incidents to the police to assist with ongoing investigations.
