Traders and shop owners in Thika have been warned to remain extra vigilant following reports of a new con game targeting businesses through carefully planned distractions and mobile phone theft.
The scam, which has reportedly been witnessed in different parts of the town, involves individuals posing as genuine customers before disappearing with phones and allegedly accessing victims’ mobile money accounts.
According to accounts shared by residents, the scheme often begins when a woman walks into a shop pretending to buy goods worth between Ksh 500 and Ksh 800 before handing over Ksh 1,000 as payment.
As the trader prepares to give back change, the shopkeeper reportedly receives a phone call from someone claiming to know the woman.
The caller allegedly asks whether the woman is still at the shop before claiming they have unsuccessfully tried to reach her through her own phone.
The trader is then requested to hand over their phone to the woman so the caller can briefly speak to her.
Moments later, several other individuals reportedly enter the shop pretending to be customers and begin asking questions or requesting assistance, creating confusion and diverting the trader’s attention.
During the distraction, the woman allegedly disappears with the phone before quickly removing the SIM card and vanishing from the area.
Victims are then reportedly left vulnerable as the suspected fraudsters allegedly gain access to mobile money services linked to the stolen phone, including M-Pesa, Fuliza, M-Shwari, and KCB M-Pesa accounts.
Residents say some victims have lost savings while others have reportedly found loans taken in their names shortly after the incidents.
The warning has sparked concern among business owners in Thika, especially small-scale traders who heavily rely on mobile phones for business transactions and communication.
Many traders are now being urged to avoid handing over personal phones to strangers regardless of the circumstances or explanations given.
Security-conscious residents are also encouraging shop owners to remain alert whenever unfamiliar customers create unusual distractions inside business premises.
The incidents have once again highlighted the growing sophistication of urban fraud schemes targeting unsuspecting Kenyans through psychological manipulation and coordinated teamwork.
Business owners in Thika are now calling for increased awareness and caution as the reported scams continue spreading across different shopping centres within the town.
Residents have further urged traders to immediately secure mobile money accounts and report suspicious incidents to authorities whenever such encounters occur.
