Residents in Migori are now calling on security agencies to intervene following a series of fraud incidents involving people posing as telco customer care representatives.
For the past several days, locals have reported receiving calls from individuals claiming to be from a telco company’s headquarters, asking about customers’ experiences with their services.
Billy Ratemo, a victim from Oyani, Uriri Sub County, shared his experience. On Saturday evening, he received a call from what appeared to be the official number. Assuming it was a legitimate inquiry, he answered the call.
“The voice on the other end was very friendly and polite. The conversation flowed smoothly and I didn’t suspect anything wrong,” he recalled.
However, Ratemo was shocked to discover that all the money in his phone account had been withdrawn.
In a similar case, Felistus Aluochi, a fruit vendor in Migori town, said she initially felt fortunate when the same number called her.
The caller praised her for her hard work and asked about her business, eventually inquiring about what she needed most for her business.
“Because the number seemed legitimate, I cooperated, thinking I was talking to the right person,” she said. But when she checked her balance later, her savings of Ksh. 4,700 were gone.
“I was just about to open my shop on Sunday morning after church when I got the call. I thought it might be a gift or something good because I recognized the number. But then I realized it was a scam,” Aluochi explained.
Residents are now left in the dark, unsure of who is behind the calls. Many are frustrated, especially since the number used for these fraudulent calls has been unresponsive when they attempt to return the call.
