DCI Arrests Man Who Allegedly Spent KSh43,320 Mistakenly Sent to His Phone

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has narrated how a businessman lost KSh43,320 after mistakenly sending the money to the wrong mobile phone number, only for the unintended recipient to allegedly switch off his phone and spend the cash.

According to the DCI, the businessman, identified as Zack, intended to pay a supplier for an urgent delivery last Thursday. However, a mistyped digit sent the money to a mobile money account belonging to an estate resident known as “Biggie wa Deals.”

After receiving the transaction notification, Biggie reportedly checked his account balance twice before switching off his phone and removing his SIM card.

He allegedly disappeared from his usual evening hangouts to avoid being traced.

The DCI further revealed that before leaving, Biggie sent a message to his landlord, who was reportedly owed two months’ rent.

“Ukinifungia tena, weka padlock tatu kama wewe ni mwanaume,” he reportedly wrote.

Businessman makes desperate attempts to recover money

After realising that he had sent the money to the wrong recipient, Zack reportedly made several attempts to contact Biggie through phone calls, but received no response.

He then sent three text messages asking the recipient to return the money.

His first message read: “Bro, nimekutumia pesa kimakosa. Tafadhali nirudishie.”

When he received no response, he followed up with: “Ni pesa ya supplier, tafadhali.”

His final message was: “Mungu anaona.”

According to the DCI’s account, Biggie read the final message before switching off his phone completely.

Rather than return the money, he allegedly went on a spending spree, buying new sneakers before heading to a local entertainment spot.

The investigators said he arrived at the establishment shouting: “Kila mtu apewe! Iko nini?!”

He reportedly paid for VIP treatment for himself and his companions throughout the weekend.

The DCI used the viral phrase “Clean money itatumaliza!” to highlight the incident and warn against treating mistakenly received money as a windfall.

Biggie’s unusual repayment plan

Detectives eventually traced Biggie to the entertainment establishment and arrested him.

When questioned, he reportedly claimed that he intended to refund the money after selling a pregnant cow at his rural home.

His proposed repayment plan allegedly included proceeds from the unborn calf.

The officers subsequently escorted him to police cells, which the DCI humorously described as their “natural aircon Gated Deluxe.”

He was reportedly served a standard meal of ugali, bean stew and vegetables as he awaited his court appearance.

What Kenyan law says about mistakenly received money

The incident also serves as a reminder that money received through an erroneous mobile money transaction does not automatically become the recipient’s property.

Kenya’s Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, 2018, and the Penal Code contain provisions addressing the unlawful handling or conversion of funds and electronic transactions. However, the precise offence and applicable penalty depend on the circumstances and evidence presented.

Safaricom customers can request a reversal of an erroneous M-Pesa transaction by forwarding the transaction message to 456 or using the available reversal channels.

The DCI concluded its account with a warning to Kenyans against spending money mistakenly sent to their accounts.

“What looks like a blessing today could become evidence in court tomorrow,” the agency warned.