Members of the public go about their businesses on Luthuli Avenue, Nairobi on January 5, 2020.
For most people, unboxing a brand-new television is one of life's few exciting moments. However, for an increasing number of Kenyans, that dream quickly turns into a costly nightmare.
The popular Luthuli Avenue, located in the heart of Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD), is a bustling area promising the city's best deals on electronics. Kenyans flock there to purchase televisions, phones as well as laptops.
However, what majority of innocent buyers don’t know is that there are shops which operates as traps, under the watch of fraudsters masquerading as legitimate traders with an aim of defrauding Kenyans.
Electronics shop along busy Luthuli Avenue on June 30 2012.
They are smart in conning buyers, using their sweet tongues to lure unsuspecting Kenyans as they promise to sell too-good-to-be-true prices on television sets.
The prices that they usually quote are mostly ridiculously low, but for innocent buyers, they might be forced to pay higher than the actual prices.
Llewellyn Ouya is a fraud victim. In his search for a digital television which he could use to play his PS, he met fraudsters who almost persuaded him into their trap.
“At that time I had like Sh12, 000, so we went to one of the shops at Luthuli Avenue. We said that we wanted a digital TV and he said that the best price is Sh14, 000. We said that the guy wanted to defraud us because we had searched in some funny sites online whereby they said that we can get one with Sh8, 500 or Sh9, 000,” Mr Ouya said.
In his mind, Mr Ouya was clear that most of the items in that area are being sold at wholesale prices.
“We then left for Luthuli. We went into one of the branded shops and many more. We met some beautiful women outside, and one of the three ladies approached us if we wanted a television set,” he said.
They maintained the budget that they had and asked for a 32-inch digital TV. Despite saying that that it was almost impossible to get a television of that kind with that amount, she eventually gave in after seeing that the buyers stood firm.
“We told her that we had Sh12, 000 but she insisted that she wants Sh16, 000. We told her that if it was not enough, we should be going elsewhere. She asked us to wait and she would go and consult with the manager at the back of the shop. She came back and told us that the manager was okay with it, and we paid Sh12, 000.”
When it was time to make payment, another person approached them and said that they were supposed to pay extra money for activation. He was shocked,
“The bouncer came and told us that we must pay Sh8, 000 to cover for pluggable, HDMI pots activation, USB and all that. The moment I heard that, I knew that we had been conned. The funny thing is that I had come across such stories on Facebook sometimes back,” he said.
They refused to fall into their trap and after some disagreement and exchange of words, one of the women came out of the room and paid them back and they left.
Another victim, who sought anonymity, narrated how he almost paid Sh24, 000 against his budget of S22, 000. But after visiting several shops, he managed to get a Vitron television, which cost him Sh20, 000.
It has also emerged that these fraudsters are very keen when it comes to the mode of payment. You can only pay in cash or they will direct you to the nearest M-Pesa agent where you can withdraw the money.
While some buyers see it as just the way of doing business, for them, it is a way of concealing their identity and ensuring that no trace of the transaction remains if questions about the item arise later.
“We bargained and their starting price was Sh22, 000. I believed that we will reach an agreement with her. After talking for some minutes, they agreed to take Sh20, 000 and they gave me Vitron which I had asked for. I tested everything to ensure that it was working and that was it.”
However, just like the first victim, when he was about to make the payment, he was asked to pay an additional “activation” fee ranging from Sh5,000 to 15,000 shillings.
“I told them that I also needed something to mount the television on as well as a TV guard. We agreed on a total of Sh21, 000 and he asked me to go ahead and withdraw the money from the M-Pesa agent,” he said.
Ultimately, he had to spend an additional Sh7, 000, which he had not budgeted for. Fortunately, he had the extra money they demanded and, since he wanted the television, he fell into their trap.
“I managed to come out with it because I had extra cash, otherwise I would have walked back home without it. And maybe if they had coned me, reporting to the police would have taken time and I doubt if something would have come out of it.”
John Mainah, another fraud victim, states that he wanted a 32-inch television to start a business with back at the state, and his budget was Sh12, 000.
Mr Mainah says that he bargained for some time until they agreed to give him at that price. They swiftly started to fill his warrant papers and prepare a receipt.
Suddenly, a woman approached Mr Mainah and asked him about the subscription he wanted. This was something he did not see coming.
“Subscription? For what?” he asked the woman.
“She said that the type of the television that I picked only operates on subscription, and not the way I thought, that I must pay for monthly subscription. They told me that the minimum monthly subscription that I can get is Sh5,000 and pay Sh11, 000 for the television.”
He decided to leave the shop without paying for the television. As he was walking out, a lady sitting at the counter felt sorry for him and called him back.
“She told me that there was no need of leaving yet I had paid the money. She then said that they will refund.”
When a buyer approaches them, they don’t disclose such extra charges until when they have paid the agreed amount for the item.
The three victims stated that none of them had heard of the so-called “activation” fee or subscription television before, and that they only learnt about them along Luthuli Avenue.
Only a lucky few manage to walk away with either their money or a television.
For most, especially those without extra cash, they lose everything, just like this elderly man.
Many victims say they’re too embarrassed to report to police, while those who do report claim the police simply record the statement, and that’s where it ends.
When we contacted, the Central Police Station commander, Stephen Okal, told us he would trace a report of filed and resolved cases, but had not provided this by the time of publishing the article.
