AIRBNB fraudster nabbed

Nairobi, 

Friday, 1 December, 2023. 

McCreadie Andias 

Detectives have arrested a prime suspect in connection to a series of fraud incidents across four counties. 

Sheila Wakesho Matasa was arrested at the fast growing satellite town of Ruaka, as she sought assistance at a bank that had frozen her account over multiple suspicious transactions.

The 24-year old is accused of being the mastermind of multiple fraud cases reported in Nairobi, Kiambu, Kisumu and Mombasa counties by holidaymakers. 

Sheila is connected to fraudulently acquiring money from both local and foreign coast-goers who seek booking services at AIRBNBs and coastal Hotels. 

According to the DCI, Wakesho opened several social media platforms purporting to own a number of AirBnBs in the coastal region of Mombasa, drawing a followership of over 10,000 clients on her page. 

She is accused of faking ownership of luxurious coastal Airbnbs including Lifestyle Beachfront AirBnB, Mombasa Raha AirBnB and Shah Tours where she would attract clients online and direct them to pay booking fees using a till number only to later dissappear leaving her victims in perplexity. 

Wakesho would use multiple sim cards to cover her tracks from detectives but this was however short lived after a bank teller tipped off the DCI following her attempts to withdrawal money from her frozen account. 

The DCI is conducting further investigations that would lead to her arraignment.