Con artists lurking at malls
Police are investigating a case in which a group of con artists, targeting shopping Malls, is fleecing Nairobians of their hard-earned cash.
The group comprising two women and a man dupes its victims into believing they can expose an ‘evil’ banknote, causing misfortunes to the holder, by praying for their money.
Beth Wangeci fell prey to the trio’s tricks on Monday as she went to buy electricity tokens from Uchumi Supermarket at Capital Centre, off Mombasa Road.
Ms Wangeci recounted how a well-roomed woman approached her at the gate, extended a handshake then asked for directions to Chaka Investments, a company dealing in property.
“She claimed to be a UK-bound doctor in the country on holiday and hoped to transact some business,” she said.
Wangeci said she didn’t know the place and the woman beckoned over a passerby, a woman who said she knew the place and somehow they started introductions.
“The woman from the UK said she was Sister Rose while the second one introduced herself as Wangui,” said Ms Wangeci.
Sister Rose said she had had a vision a few days before in which Wangui and Wangeci or women resembling them featured.
She went on to tell each a few personal details about their lives and those concerning Ms Wangeci were true. At this point Wangeci said she started falling into the trap.
Sister Rose convinces the two women to get into her car and just as they parked the navy blue Prado TX at Oilibya fuel station a few meters away, an excited man walked towards them.
He introduces himself as Momanyi then expressed joy at seeing Sister Rose back in the country, claiming she had healed his dying mother the last time she was around.
He added that she was even behind the ‘miraculous’ healing of Prof Anyang Nyongo and Hon Beth Mugo of cancer. Sister Rose asks Momanyi to enter the car so he would not draw too much attention.
If people recognised her, she said they would crowd around her due to her popularity as a televangelist.
Wangeci obliged to their idea of praying for her money, little knowing that had been together. “The three convince me to withdraw my money from the bank which they claimed had an ‘evil’ note,” says Ms Wangeci.
Momanyi accompanied Ms Wangeci to CFC Stanbic bank in Industrial area where she withdrew Sh 70,000 over the counter for it to be prayed for.
They then walked back to the car where Sister Rose made a prayer ritual requiring Wangeci and Wangui to tie their cash in white tissue paper and a white handkerchief. They were instrcted to exchange their bundles then do the same after prayers.
“So I handed Wangui who was in the back seat my money and I suppose that is when they played tricks on me. We prayed for the money and then I got mine back,” she said.
Sister Rose then hands Wangui and Wangeci Sh1000 each and instructed them to go home without looking back lest they turned into salt pillars like Lot’s wife.
Back at home, Wangeci prayed and then opened the bundle backto fish out the bad note as she had instructed, only to find empty envelopes — her money was gone.