Janet Mbugua Exposes Impersonator Who Almost Conned Senior Public Official Using Her Identity

• Renowned journalist Janet Mbugua discovered that someone had been impersonating her online
• The scammer uses the celebrated media personality's name and photos for fraudulent activities
• Janet fired a warning and advised those who received a strange message from the impersonator to report

Media personality Janet Mbugua has exposed a scammer who is impersonating her.

The NTV journalist shared the phone number of the impersonator and was shocked that they are even using her photos to con unsuspecting people.

Janet revealed that the impersonator tried to con a senior public official.

"Scammer alert. There’s a strange, unsettling feeling when you realise someone is out there pretending to be you; using your photos, your name, your identity, to scam others. This week, I found out someone’s been impersonating me online and even tried to con a senior public official," she wrote on Instagram.

Janet Mbugua warns Kenyans against scammer

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She urged people who have received calls from the number to ignore and report the account.

"If you’ve received any odd messages claiming to be from me, please report the account. And always cross-check through my verified platforms before engaging. Poleni if you’ve been affected. It’s annoying but hey, digital fraud is real! So stay alert. And thank you to everyone who flagged it," she added.

What you need to know about digital fraud

Digital fraud is the use of technology to deceive, manipulate, or steal from individuals or businesses.

Impersonation is not a new trend. Oftentimes, celebrities are usually impersonated on social media by scammers. Some have fallen victim to this trend.

In order to be safe, one should be careful before engaging such accounts. Some impersonators use sophisticated styles that are hard to dodge, but a careful eye would always tell.

Laikipia woman narrates how imposter stole her identity

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In a separate story, a Kenyan woman was left jobless after discovering that someone with a similar name had used her identity to fraudulently secure a teaching job with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

Kairuthi Caroline Kubai, the victim of the identity theft, revealed that her personal documents and academic certificates were stolen and used by the imposter.

Carolyn Makena, the woman accused of impersonating Kubai with forged academic and personal documents, was subsequently arraigned in court.

Kubai recounted the sequence of events that led to the shocking discovery and the profound impact it has had on both her professional and personal life.

Makena managed to work for eleven months under Kubai’s name, receiving a government salary and even taking out a KSh 1.8 million loan from Unison Sacco.

The truth came to light when Kubai discovered the loan in her name and promptly reported the matter to the police.

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Teacher arraigned in court for impersonating June Ruto

In another similar story, a junior secondary school teacher was taken to the Milimani Law Court for impersonating President William Ruto's daughter, June.

In the court documents, the teacher identified as Samuel Mainga allegedly opened a Facebook page in the name of June Ruto.

The police asked for a seven-day extension of his detention, a request his lawyer, Danstan Omari, is contesting.

Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke