The Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) has raised alarms regarding a surge in scams involving cryptocurrency investment platforms within the country.
Numerous cases are currently under investigation, prompting a cautionary advisory to Kenyans to validate the legitimacy of such companies through the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) and the Communication Authority (CA) before engaging in any investment activities.
“The DCI has observed a concerning rise in reports of Kenyans losing their savings to fraudsters. Many individuals have been enticed to participate in online cryptocurrency investment platforms only to fall victim to scammers. We are actively probing several such instances where deceived investors are lamenting their losses.
In a modern-day deception prevalent in the Kenyan market, unsolicited text messages reading ‘Make Money Sitting At Home’ are sent to unsuspecting recipients, accompanied by links inviting them to join these online investment schemes.
Under the guise of promising lucrative returns on investment, unsuspecting victims are drawn into these schemes, only to realize later that they have been defrauded of substantial sums of money.”
The DCI urges Kenyans and others to remain vigilant against such scams, advising thorough verification of the authenticity of any online investment platforms with the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) and the Communication Authority (CA) prior to investing their hard-earned money.