Social media engagement between lady and her relative in diaspora shows how Kenyans con their relatives abroad

The world Bank has just released a report stating that Kenyans abroad have slowed in sending money back home.The report states that 2017 has seen the slowest growth of remittance in five years.An article published by The Standard newspaper has revealed perhaps why there's a slow growth after highlighting cases of how Kenyans have been conning their relatives abroad whenever they send money.In the piece headlined as "Wakora: How Kenyans con their relatives abroad" the newspaper shares how several Kenyans have been conned after sending their hard earned cash hoping that their relatives were doing developments back at home.“It was tough for me, but eventually I managed to make enough bucks for myself and within a short period of time, I started remitting some money to a relative back in Kenya for my “development” plans," says Arnold Mureithi* who was among those highlighted in the shocking story.“I sent enough money for the purchase of a piece of land in Juja and within no time, construction work for rental apartments started, or so I thought,” narrates Mureithi.Mureithi meanwhile was working hard, doing all kinds of menial jobs and sending almost every coin he gets back home for the project.His relatives would give him updates and even send photos via WhatsApp on how the project was progressing only to get the shock of his life once he returned home.There was nothing."I never imagined the relative could be taking me for a ride," he said."I gave him my all and financed the construction for six months when I started raising some questions and he could not answer them. Shock on me when I landed back in Kenya and there was nothing on the ground, not even the piece of land!”Apparently, the WhatsApp pictures of a construction site was from someone else’s plot.Charles Owino*, who is based in London, had a similar encounter after he decided to educate his younger siblings and relatives’ children.But again was taken for a ride only to discover that the sibling he had "been educating" was long married and even had kids."Most of the children I am sponsoring are doing well in school, particularly this uncle’s boy in a national school, but some relatives have taken my generosity for weakness,” Owino says.“I was paying fees for a long married girl and none of my relatives who knew it cared to inform me. I felt bad and resentful about helping relatives again but for the few genuine cases, I have decided not to stop my help. However, I am wiser now, demand accountability and always do background check and serious follow-up.”According to Owino, relatives back home believe that Kenyans abroad earn money easily hence feel they can misuse whatever they send."This is the reason some misinformed relatives will not hesitate to want to use your hard-earned money to finance their reckless lifestyles,” he says, adding that for some, they have to do more than three jobs to make enough cash.Rebecca Kathini* who is in Switzerland was also conned in a similar fashion by her two cousins."My two siblings, a brother and a sister, faked my niece’s strange sickness and used it to win sympathy financing from me.." she says."I was even sent fake evidence of doctor’s reports and scheduled visits to India for specialized treatment, prompting me to send more money! I am an orphan and was constantly and only in touch with my siblings so I had no one to get the real picture from.”She was saved in time after one friend of Rebecca’s sister sent her a friend request on Facebook and informed her on the dirty games going on behind her back.“She told me how her best friend, my sister, and my brother were fooling me to finance their lavish lifestyle in the city."Initially, I didn’t not believe her until she sent me real photographs of my otherwise healthy two year old niece unlike the fake ones of a sickly baby I always got from my sister and brother. I was shocked and after confronting them, none of them even seemed remorseful,” Kathini narrates.Though not everyone abroad has experienced such tales, it's only fare to say that these cases are on the rise and have forced Kenyans abroad to recoil and think of other ways to invest back home.