Police have charged two suspects at the Kahawa Law Courts for operating fake social media accounts impersonating top government officials in a scam targeting unsuspecting Kenyans.
Investigators arrested Tony Blair Okello, a university student, and Tyson Odhiambo Otieno in Bungoma County, at Tuuti and Namachanja respectively. The duo allegedly ran a fraudulent scheme by creating fictitious accounts, including one impersonating Principal Secretary for Interior, Dr. Raymond Omollo.
Authorities found the suspects in violation of Section 28 of the Computer Misuse Act, which prohibits cybersquatting, and Section 393 of the Penal Code for conspiracy to commit a felony.
Detectives revealed that Tyson, described as tech-savvy, had opened numerous fake accounts in the past. He reportedly trained others in online scamming before selling the accounts to them. According to the investigation, Tony Blair was one of Tyson’s recruits and actively engaged in the scheme.
The court released both suspects on a cash bail of Ksh35,000 each. Their case is scheduled for mention on April 28.
Police have urged the public to remain vigilant online and verify official social media accounts to avoid falling victim to similar scams.
