NAIROBI,Kenya June 7 – A man suspected of defrauding a woman of Sh450,500 through a SIM-swap scheme has been arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), bringing to an end a months-long probe into the cyber-enabled theft.
Oscar Livondo was arrested by officers from the Operation Support Unit (OSU) based at DCI headquarters after investigators linked him to fraudulent transfers that drained the victim’s M-Pesa account while she was abroad.
According to investigators, the victim travelled to the United States in January 2019 in search of employment opportunities and activated Safaricom’s Daima service to keep her mobile line active for continued access to mobile money services.
The line reportedly functioned normally until May 24, 2024, when both cellular and M-Pesa services suddenly stopped working. She only discovered the extent of the fraud after returning to Kenya in December 2024.
Expecting a balance of about Sh450,500, she instead found only Sh18 remaining in her account.
A police investigation later established that Sh450,500 had been withdrawn on October 15, 2024, in two transactions linked to a mobile number registered under the suspect’s name.
Detectives say the suspect used a SIM-swap fraud technique to gain control of the victim’s line and access her mobile money account.
He was later traced to Ngumba Estate, where he was arrested. A search of his house recovered two mobile phones and six SIM card holders, which are being examined as part of ongoing investigations.
Confirming the arrest, DCI officials said the case highlights the growing sophistication of mobile money fraud networks in the country.
The suspect is being held pending arraignment as detectives continue to piece together evidence in the case.
