By Collins Wanzallah, The Dispatch Digital
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has raised the alarm over an increasing number of fraudsters posing as its detectives across the country. According to the commission’s spokesperson, Eric Ngumbi, these impostors are conning unsuspecting Kenyans by pretending to be conducting investigations against them.
Ngumbi revealed that in 2024 alone, the Commission has encountered over 300 cases of fake detectives deceiving Kenyans while posing as EACC officers or other law enforcement agents on official duty.
Ngumbi identified four main categories of EACC impostors:
- Fake EACC Offices: In counties like Kakamega, Bungoma, and Busia, some impostors have established counterfeit EACC offices, offering fraudulent services. In Busia, for instance, an entity named “Anti-Corruption Investigations Agency” has allegedly been receiving money from the public to resolve corruption-related conflicts and even placing caveats on land.
- Fake Integrity Clearance: Some fraudsters are issuing fake EACC Integrity Clearance certificates to candidates seeking employment, charging a fee for a service that the Commission ordinarily provides free of charge.
- Bogus Investigations and Bribery: Other impostors conduct fake investigations, arrests, and search operations, demanding hefty bribes in exchange for skewing the investigations in the target’s favor or waiving potential criminal charges.
- Business Compliance Inspections: Some fraudsters invade business premises, claiming to inspect compliance with various licensing requirements or counterfeit goods, and then extort money from the owners.
Ngumbi stated that these impostors have primarily targeted state officers in the national government, county government officials, school principals, national government administration officers, and private business operators. Victims have reportedly lost millions of shillings to these scams.
“For school principals, the impostors focus on allegations of illegal fees, procurement, and financial management issues,” Ngumbi said. He noted that in different counties, fake officers target revenue collection officials, while national government administration officers are targeted over alleged corruption.
Ngumbi urged members of the public who encounter suspicious individuals to notify the EACC and avoid falling into fraudulent traps. He expressed concern over the willingness of many Kenyans to bribe their way out of perceived trouble.
“Even in cases where victims of these fraudsters could easily contact EACC to verify the authenticity of persons claiming to be its officers, the emerging pattern shows that most victims are quick to initiate settlement with the impostors, leading to extortion of huge sums of money,” added the EACC spokesperson.
Ngumbi also hinted at a possible increase in corruption dealings, suggesting that some of those targeted by the impostors might be involved in corrupt or underworld activities.