Kisii: Fake Mike Sonko arrested by DCI police

DCI agents have arrested a man who has been defrauding people calling himself Mike Sonko.

According to the DCI, 29-year-old Newton Paul Kengere has been claiming to be Mike Sonko on social media and defrauding people with air promises to give them loans.

Newton Paul Kengere was arrested in Riokindo Ward of Kisii within Kenyenya sub-county, where the phone he had been using to send attractive messages to vulnerable targets and several sim cards were also found.

It is reported that businessman Mike Sonko filed a report last year at the Nairobi police station saying that many people on social media pretend to be him.

Kengere was taking the opportunity with Sonko's photos on his social media profile and robbing needy people such as those who are paying school fees.

"Kengere continued and wrote messages asking people who are interested to register with Sh1,000 for the initial loans which he said, cannot collect any interest.

To get a loan, "applicants" had to send their ID numbers, full names, location and state the purpose."

“However, after receiving the registration fees, Kengere would quickly transition from a caller to saying, "Patience pays".

The statement was that all his targets would give their Sh1,000," DCI said.

The DCI Nairobi Crime and Intelligence Research Unit team that searched for him in his village is handling him before he is brought to court on Friday, Jan 19.