NAIROBI, Kenya – Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested a suspect accused of orchestrating a SIM-swap fraud scheme that saw an unsuspecting victim lose Sh450,500 from her M-Pesa account.
The suspect, identified as Oscar Livondo, was arrested by officers attached to the Operation Support Unit (OSU) following investigations into the sophisticated cybercrime that allegedly targeted a Kenyan woman living abroad.
According to the DCI, the victim left Kenya for the United States in January 2019 in pursuit of employment opportunities and enrolled her Safaricom line in the Daima programme to keep the number active while overseas.
The arrangement allowed her to continue using the line for M-Pesa services despite being outside the country.
Authorities said the line functioned normally until May 24, 2024, when all cellular and M-Pesa services abruptly stopped working.
Upon returning to Kenya in December 2024, the woman discovered that her SIM card had been swapped without her knowledge or authorization.
Expecting to find approximately Sh450,500 in her M-Pesa account, she was shocked to discover that only Sh18 remained.
The matter was reported to authorities, triggering investigations that uncovered a fraudulent transfer of the funds on October 15, 2024.
Detectives established that the money had been moved in two transactions to a mobile phone number allegedly registered under Livondo’s name.
Following months of investigations, officers tracked the suspect to Ngumba Estate in Nairobi, where he was arrested during a targeted operation.
A search conducted at his residence led to the recovery of two mobile phones and six SIM card holders, items investigators believe could be linked to the alleged fraud network.
The suspect is currently in police custody undergoing processing ahead of his arraignment in court.
The DCI has warned members of the public to remain vigilant against SIM-swap fraud, a growing cybercrime tactic where fraudsters illegally gain control of a victim’s mobile phone number to access mobile money accounts, banking services and sensitive personal information.
Authorities have urged mobile phone users to immediately report any unexplained loss of network service or unauthorized account activity to their service providers and law enforcement agencies.
