Man arrested for defrauding woman of Ksh 12M in fake Garissa land deal

A 44-year-old man has been arrested by Kilimani detectives for allegedly defrauding a Kenyan woman of Sh12 million in a fake land deal.

Abdi Yusuf Mohamed was taken into custody after investigations revealed he had lured the victim with claims of owning a prime piece of land in the Garissa Municipality.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Yusuf received the money in multiple installments through his personal bank account between June 29 and November 21, 2023.

The victim, believing the deal to be legitimate, transferred the funds in good faith, unaware that she was being duped.

However, a search at the Garissa lands registry exposed the scam.

Records showed that the parcel Yusuf claimed to be selling was registered to a different individual, who has held the title since it was originally allocated by the government.

The green card for the land confirmed the rightful ownership, casting doubt on Yusuf’s claims.

Further scrutiny of documents Yusuf had presented as proof of ownership revealed they were fraudulent.

Armed with this evidence, detectives tracked Yusuf to his hideout in Eastleigh, where he was arrested and taken to Kilimani Police Station. He is currently being processed ahead of his arraignment in court.

The DCI has issued a warning to the public, urging caution when engaging in land transactions.

Authorities are calling on Kenyans to thoroughly verify ownership details and authenticate all documents to avoid falling victim to similar fraudulent schemes.