Nairobi. In a scenario that seems more suited for a movie script than reality, three individuals—Eric Munene Kaburu, Dennis Jerah Ombogo, and Morris Muriithi Mugambi—are currently in custody after allegedly orchestrating a sophisticated digital heist that resulted in the disappearance of Ksh 10 million from the Safaricom Sacco account at Cooperative Bank.
The suspects are said to have skillfully manipulated the bank’s systems to carry out unauthorized cash transfers, dispersing the stolen funds into various bank and M-Pesa accounts as if they were planting money trees.
The operation was executed so seamlessly that even the bank’s security systems were momentarily caught off guard before raising the alarm. It wasn’t until Cooperative Bank detected suspicious financial activity that the alarm bells rang, leading to an internal investigation that confirmed the unsettling reality: a digital breach had occurred.
In a dramatic turn reminiscent of classic crime thrillers, the suspects were apprehended on May 27. Kaburu was caught while shopping, possibly using some of the allegedly “digitally teleported” money at a mall in Nairobi. Meanwhile, his accomplices were dramatically intercepted at a lodging near the Namanga border, raising questions about whether they were attempting a getaway or simply misjudging their vacation timing.
As the investigation intensified, the Director of Public Prosecutions sought a court warrant to examine the suspects’ phones and search their homes for potential digital command centers linked to the operation.
Reports suggest that laptops and routers may have been more integral to the scheme than the suspects themselves. In response to the unfolding situation, affected bank and M-Pesa accounts have been frozen swiftly, akin to the quick change in a boda rider’s expression during a police stop. Additionally, some Sacco services have been temporarily halted as a precaution, highlighting the adage that once bitten by hackers, one becomes twice shy.
