Local and smart scarm
In 2012, the Kenyan President embarked on a monumental project – the construction of a road connecting Lamu Port to Ethiopia and South Sudan. This ambitious endeavor promised progress and development for the region, but it also opened the door for scams to flourish. Among those who saw opportunity in the project was a man named Kimani.
Kimani had been deported from the UK due to his fraudulent activities, but now he saw a chance for revenge and a fresh start in Kenya. He devised a scheme based on the compensation process for those affected by the road's construction. Land along the planned route was relatively inexpensive compared to the government's compensation estimates. With this notion in mind, Kimani reached out to his fellow Kenyan expatriates living abroad.
He spun a tale of opportunity, encouraging them to invest by purchasing land along the proposed road. The prospects seemed promising, not only for compensation but also for future development as new cities were anticipated to spring up along the route. His fellow Kenyans abroad were convinced, and money started flowing to Kimani's hands.
To maintain their trust, Kimani regularly updated his friends with photos of the road's construction progress. These images fueled hope and excitement, and even more people joined in, sending their hard-earned money for land investments. Kimani assured them that he was taking care of everything, including the compensation claims.
However, as time passed, Kimani's online presence began to dwindle. He stopped responding to calls and messages, leaving his investors in the dark. Years went by, and hope waned.
It wasn't until 2022 when the truth came to light. While browsing Facebook, one of the victims stumbled upon a familiar photo – a picture Kimani had shared as proof of the road's progress. Curious, they inquired about the photo's source.
The person who posted the image explained that it was taken during the construction of a completely different road leading to their home. It had nothing to do with the Lamu Port project.
Realization hit hard – they had been scammed beautifully, their hopes and investments stolen by Kimani, who had vanished into the shadows. The dream of land investments and compensation had crumbled, leaving them with a harsh lesson about the dangers of trust in the world of scams.
