Safaricom blocks thousands of Phones for involvement on a Multi million airtime theft! Be careful where you buy your AIRTIME from

Thousands of Safaricom subscribers are under police scrutiny for their involvement in a multi-million-shilling airtime theft that took place last month.

The Directorate of Investigations (CID) is reportedly pursuing the masterminds of the electronic theft and about 10,000 Safaricom subscribers who bought the stolen airtime at half the market price. The subscribers face a charge of handling stolen property.

One of the suspects was on Tuesday charged in court with manipulating the telecoms firm’s computer system and stealing electronic airtime.

Alex Mutuku on Tuesday appeared before a magistrate at Nairobi’s Milimani law courts where his case was set for hearing on May 19, 2015.

Mr Mutuku is charged with collaborating with others, at an unknown place within Nairobi, to steal airtime valued at Sh20,000 belonging to Safaricom.

The charge sheet says the alleged crime was committed by interfering with the functioning of Safaricom’s computer system with intent to procure the suspect an advantage.

BLOCKED PHONES

The architects of the fraud are said to have broken into Safaricom’s computer systems and stolen airtime which they sold in the market at half the retail price. Mr Mutuku is, for instance, alleged to have bought airtime worth Sh20,000 for Sh10,000.

The perpetrators of the crime are said to have created a huge market for the stolen airtime by informing friends and relatives where to buy from, causing alarm within Safaricom.

Some of the stolen airtime was traced to friends and relatives of the masterminds, having been sent to them for free. Safaricom has used serial numbers of the stolen airtime to trail their circulation in the marketplace, blocking thousands of consumers found to have handled it.

Unsuspecting subscribers whose phones were blocked and reported inability to use their phones soon found themselves under police radar, facing arrest for fraud.

Most suspects were arrested at Safaricom’s Nairobi headquarters and handed over to CID officers at Parklands Police Station.

The police are relying on Section 84B (b) of the Kenya Information and Communication Act to deal with the suspects.

Safaricom has more recently been battling claims of fraudulent activities on its network.

Last month, the telecoms operator refuted claims that its employees were involved in rigging an online customer’s competition.

The telecoms giant, however, admitted that “the social media activation was compromised by one or possibly several tech-savvy individuals who deployed ‘Internet bots’ to increase their chances of winning in the competition”.

Article Borrowed From Business Daily