Police officers have launched a manhunt for a Mombasa woman accused of defrauding more than 40 people out of Sh3.9 million by guaranteeing them employment in Singapore, Canada, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
On Saturday, June 3, the victims divulged their predicament, saying they had been promised various jobs in teaching and security positions abroad.
To proceed with visa processing and the purchase of airfare tickets, the targets were required to pay an upfront fee and settle the remainder upon receiving their initial salary overseas.
The victims disclosed that they remitted money to the woman between January and March of 2023, but had not heard from her since then.
To deceive them into accepting the offer, she shared pictures and stories about people she claimed to have helped travel abroad for work. When the resident questioned the deal, she made up excuses including her boss being ill hence delays in visa processing.
The Kenya Association of Private Employment Agencies denied knowledge of the woman and urged authorities to bring her to book.
“I called her because I was concerned about the process and why it was taking so long, and she told me to wait until the end of Ramadhan. When we started making inquiries, we were directed to file complaints with the police as her partners had swindled us off our money. We were told to be witnesses, but we refused,” said a victim.
Police officers said the detectives had started their search for the suspect.
The Principal Secretary of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Roseline Njogu recently cautioned Kenyans against falling prey to fraudulent job recruiters. She suggested that they compare job offers from abroad with those listed on the ministry’s website to avoid being scammed.
“The National Employment Authority has several legit opportunities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs too… but with people hunting for jobs, some people are taking advantage of their separation,” she stated.
