Dear Wazuans
Conmen have since gone hi-tech. This is the new syndicate:
a) Agency X (mainly GoK) advertises for tender applications in nation or std newspapers. In the advert, they clearly state the tender closing date at time. Most state that BIDS WILL BE OPENED IMMEDIATELY AFTER IN THE PRESENCE OF BIDDERS WHO WISH TO ATTEND. This is the catching point
b) Based on above, the con game cartel dispatches a representative to attend this "Bid Opening". Their main intent is to mine the details of the applicants and names of presiding officers since they are announced publicly.
c) Armed with this data, they retreat to comb the internet of the contacts details of the applicant companies.
d) A week or 2 later, someone calls the company alleging to be from the procuring entity in regard to "the tender you had submitted". They have read through ToR documents etc and starting telling you that your application is missing this and that. To scare you, anasema "...mimi ndio chairman wa tender committee na tuko pahali meeting ya evaluation. Nimeona kukiwa na hii shida na nikaamua nisikuangushe tu hivyo. Unaelewa vile nasema? unataka tufanye nini sasa?"
e) With the corruption stories flying in the media; and having the "Chairman" on your side, you choose to negotiate. The long story continues and ends with this sentence "... hapa tuko wanne na unajua saa ni lunch. wee fanya hivi, tununulie lunch halafu by saa tisa unipigie ukuje uchukue award letter". Curiuosly you ask "... Lunch ni kama nini?". Anakujibu "...Ukinunulia mtu anayekupea kazi ya mamillion lunch, unaona ni kama nini? Wee tuma 2k x 4 = 8k. Tuko wanne.".
Here they know parting with 8K for tender greedy Kenyan is an easy bet. You rush to the mpesa line and there you go. You have lost it.
Next time you try to call the guy he becomes rowdy and unresponsive, and suddenly starts picking your calls in a very noisy background.
A friend recently lost 10k this way. On tracking the number, they found the guy was calling from a prison in Eldoret
BEWARE!