Red flag raised as fraudsters invade Karen
A group of fraudsters has set camp in Karen and is conning residents by preying on their generosity.
At least five people have fallen for the tricks of two women, one black and the other white and a black man.
They mostly target motorists driving on the roads in the affluent neighbourhood.
One of them, usually a woman, pretends to be sick and collapses on the road while he accomplices pretend to be administering first aid, according to Karen Lang’ata District Association (KLDA).
The association’s head of communication, Rose Karobia said the five cases were reported in the last two weeks.
Good samaritans
“These are just the cases that have been reported to us. I am sure more people have been affected but have not reported since they thought they were just being good Samaritans,” she said.
In the latest case on Bogani Road, a victim said she was driving towards Maasai Lane when she saw a car parked on the road side and a white woman attending to another woman lying on the ground with foam coming out of her mouth.
The conman who was smartly dressed claimed he was a neighbour to the woman on the ground. He frantically told her she was pregnant and that she had just suffered a seizure.
After five minutes of administering pretend first aid, the woman regained consciousness and the empathetic victim offered Sh 2,000 to the man to rush her to hospital.
Just as the woman was about to drive away, another car approached and the male driver said he had also offered money to the three earlier in the week.
The fraudsters gave back the money after the victim threatened to call the police.
“So far they have been spotted on Maasai, Bogani, Warai, Ndege and Karen roads,” said Ms Karobia.
The group was also sighted near Deputy President William Ruto’s official residence.
When one of the women collapsed, her accomplices claimed she was a worker in one of the houses nearby.
So comprehensive was the con that they even gave the good samaritan the phone number of someone they claimed was her employer who confirmed the story when contacted.
Hardy Police station boss Victor Kemboi urged residents to exercise caution when dealing with stranger and urged them to report such cases.