The Kenyan authorities have arrested a Ghanaian national who is alleged to have fraudulently obtained $83,000 (£58,490) from a woman in a romance scam.
The police’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said a female manager at Tala, a digital lender that issues small loans to Kenyans, met the Ghanaian called Victor Anane through an online dating site.
“The suspect… masquerades as a preacher, approaches innocent women looking for love and affection online, with promises of making their lives better before fraudulently obtaining money from them.”
The woman only became suspicious of Mr Anane when she visited his house in the capital, Nairobi, the police said.
“She was shocked to find paraphernalia associated with witchcraft and magical rituals. What was meant to be a romantic date turned ugly,” the DCI said, posting on Twitter bizarre photos of items allegedly linked to witchcraft recovered from Mr Anane’s house during a raid:
A Ghanaian national believed to have obtained Sh9 Million from a senior manager at a money lending agency, was yesterday arrested by detectives. The senior manager at Tala agencies, a popular mobile money lending firm, that advances instant short term loans pic.twitter.com/Jvn32A8seO
— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) June 1, 2021
The authorities also recovered fake currency and materials used to print fake money.
Security officials say some of the money given to the man was allegedly taken from Tala’s accounts.
The suspect, who has not commented on the allegations, is set to appear in court on charges of obtaining money by false pretences.