A British man lost Sh800,000 after falling victim to an elaborate dating scam in Nyali, Mombasa, that police say was masterminded by a Kenyan woman he had met online.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the victim had been chatting for months with a woman identified as Samira Mumbi Kiarie, who convinced him to visit Kenya for what appeared to be a romantic getaway.
Upon arrival, he was invited to her apartment in Nyali for a private dinner that quickly took a dangerous turn.
Investigators say that moments after the Briton arrived, two men stormed the apartment—one posing as Samira’s angry husband and the other claiming to be a police officer.
The pair allegedly accused the visitor of having an affair with a married woman and threatened to arrest him unless he paid a “settlement fee.”
Under pressure and fearing legal trouble, the man transferred Sh800,000 through mobile money to accounts provided by the suspects.
The group then escorted him out of the apartment and vanished before he could raise the alarm.
DCI officers launched an investigation using digital forensics and mobile tracking, which led to the arrest of Samira and one of her alleged accomplices, Paul Webster Mangeni.
Detectives believe the two are members of a wider criminal syndicate that uses online dating platforms to lure foreigners and rob them in pre-arranged setups.
The suspects are being held as the hunt continues for a third accomplice who remains at large.
Authorities say the case highlights growing concerns over cyber-enabled fraud and romantic scams, which have become increasingly common across Kenya’s coastal tourism hubs.
According to the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee (NC4), Kenya has recorded a steady rise in online fraud incidents targeting both locals and foreigners, with dating scams ranking among the most reported cases in Mombasa and Nairobi.
Police have urged Kenyans and visiting tourists to remain vigilant when engaging with strangers online and to verify identities before agreeing to private meetings.
Both suspects are expected to be arraigned once investigations are finalized, DCI said in a statement.