BOMET, KENYA – An M-Pesa agent in Bomet County is seeking public assistance to identify a man who defrauded her of KSh 100,000 in a meticulously executed scam captured by a CCTV camera on Friday, November 15, 2025. The incident underscores the significant financial risks and sophisticated social engineering tactics confronting mobile money agents, who are crucial to Kenya's digital economy.

The security footage, which has been widely circulated, shows a man dressed in a greenish trench coat and blue jeans approaching the M-Pesa kiosk. According to the agent's account, the suspect initiated a transaction, claiming he intended to withdraw a large sum of money. He engaged the agent in casual conversation, reportedly making her laugh at one point, a common tactic used to build a false sense of security. To further disarm her, he politely stepped aside to allow other customers to be served, patiently waiting until the shop was empty.

Once alone with the agent, the suspect claimed that the withdrawal transaction had been completed and the funds debited from his account, but the confirmation message was delayed. By insisting the transaction was complete and creating a sense of urgency, he successfully manipulated the agent into handing over the KSh 100,000 in cash without her having received the official M-Pesa agent transaction notification.

A Nationwide Vulnerability

This Bomet incident is not isolated but rather emblematic of a wider, persistent pattern of fraud targeting the backbone of Kenya's financial inclusivity. Mobile money fraud remains a significant challenge, with criminals constantly devising new methods to exploit both customers and the over 262,000 M-Pesa agents operating across the country as of March 2024.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has repeatedly issued warnings and conducted operations against such syndicates. In May 2025, the DCI announced the arrest of five suspects linked to widespread mobile money fraud, noting that fraudsters use a combination of psychological manipulation, impersonation of officials, and technological spoofing to empty agents' cash reserves, known as 'float'. Common schemes include fake transaction messages, SIM swap fraud, and social engineering, where fraudsters pose as Safaricom customer care staff to deceive agents.

Official Advisories and Protective Measures

In response to the escalating threats, both regulators and telecommunication companies have urged extreme caution. The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has warned that mobile money platforms are vulnerable to fraud due to identity theft and forgery, urging service providers to tighten their verification processes. Safaricom, the operator of M-Pesa, explicitly warns on its official website that its customer care team will never ask for a customer's PIN and that official calls only originate from the number 0722000000. The company advises agents and customers to verify all transactions through their official till line or app, not just via SMS, and to report any suspicious numbers or messages to the shortcode 333 for blocking.

Safaricom has also implemented technical measures to curb fraud, such as a geo-locking policy that restricts M-Pesa tills to specific geographical locations, which the company reports has “effectively curtailed fraud” related to till theft. Despite these efforts, social engineering scams, like the one in Bomet, rely on human interaction and momentary lapses in judgment, making agent training and constant vigilance paramount.

The DCI and other law enforcement agencies continue to investigate these financial crimes, but public awareness remains a critical first line of defense. The Bomet agent's decision to release the CCTV footage is a direct appeal to the community for help in bringing the perpetrator to justice and serves as a stark, real-world warning to other small business owners across Kenya. As of the time of this report, no arrests have been confirmed in connection with the Bomet incident. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REQUIRED.