How Tanzania police officers fell victim to online scam

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Mwananchi Communications Limited

What you need to know:

The officers who were defrauded were all in search for top appointments in the force such as Regional Police Commanders, OCD, whereas others were seeking promotion and transfers
Victims of the scam include senior police officers who fell into the trap and sent money so that their children could be employed in sensitive government departments

Dar e Salaam. More than 20 police officers are alleged to have been defrauded by an impostor who identified himself as a 'Major General' in the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF).
The incident that has sent shock waves in the Police Force is the first of its kind in the country, considering the fact that the Police Force is responsible with cybercrime.
It is, however, alleged that the suspect masquerading as a top military brass managed to hit the officers in their own backyard without being detected and in the process getting away with hundreds of thousands.
The officers who were defrauded were all in search for top appointments in the force such as Regional Police Commanders, OCD, whereas others were seeking promotion and transfers.
Victims of the scam include senior police officers who fell into the trap and sent money so that their children could be employed in sensitive government departments.
Our credible sources state that the suspect, who has been identified as David Otieno, disguised himself as Major General Mrai. He was arrested on April 4, 2022 in Msamvu in Morogoro Region.
"I do not know how he convinced these officers to send money to someone they have never met, they do not know him personally, they just talk on the phone and they know there is a lot of fraud on the internet," said one of the sources.
The source added: There is one RPC who sent money in two different transactions of Sh100, 000 and Sh50, 000 so that his son could be could be employed in one of the government’s departments and another sent Sh400, 000. These are stories that are a little bit funny.
Another source claimed that a certain officer who wanted to be promoted sent Sh270, 000 and later a gift in Dar es Salaam to the same ‘Major General’.
"That guy has admitted to committing more than 25 such incidents and that is for police officers only, it is not clear if there are officers from other departments," hinted a police officer from Morogoro who preferred anonymity.