The case of British businessman Campbell Scott who went missing on February 17 and whose body was later found in Makongo Forest in Makueni County bears striking similarities to that of Filipino, Christopher Fadera, who was on Wednesday morning found dumped in Embakasi after being robbed of his money.

Both foreigners were lured by unknown men to Pipeline in Embakasi where they were detained and later attacked before money was stolen from their bank accounts.

In both cases, the two had just arrived in the country and were both staying in Westlands – JW Marriot Hotel and Serenata Gardens, respectively.

Though Scott was later murdered and his body ferried over 110 kilometres southeast of Nairobi, Fadera was found stranded, penniless and without a phone, around the same area where Scott had been, by a boda boda rider who took him to Kware police station.

Fadera told the police that he met an unknown person from the Grindr App at the Village Market on Tuesday, who promised to take him around the shopping malls in the city.

They then took a taxi to Pipeline in Embakasi and after being shown around, he was taken to a room where he was accosted by five men. They physically assaulted him, where he sustained bruises and a swollen face.

“He was then forced to transfer US$1500 from his bank account to the attackers’ account. They also robbed him of his mobile phone and transferred an unknown amount of money to their account,” police said.

Escorted to police station

They then removed him from the house and dumped him beside the road, stranded in the middle of the night, where he was found by a boda boda rider, Stephen Chege.

Chege, a rider who operates from the Pebbles stage in Embakasi, escorted him to Kware police station where the report was made at around 1 am.

By yesterday, police had not disclosed how much was stolen from his bank account.

The victim visited the country on Sunday, July 27, and was staying at Serenata Gardens within Westlands.

“The foreigner said he met the man on Tuesday at 3.30pm from the Grindr App who promised to take him around the malls in Nairobi. They then took a taxi to Pipeline in Embakasi where the man was joined by other men,” police said.

In the case of Scott, preliminary investigations revealed that money was withdrawn from his bank accounts from at least three different locations.

Scott, then a senior director with data analytics company FICO, was captured on CCTV leaving the JW Marriot Hotel with a man before they boarded a vehicle to Pipeline in Embakasi. He was dressed in cargo pants and a blue shirt.

Police have also warned that there could be more victims or similar incidents especially in Mombasa and Nairobi, adding that the perpetrators also use Snapchat to find and lure their victims.

“In most cases, the victims are threatened and forced to hand over phones and bank logins before money is stolen from their accounts,” a detective said.

The victims have been assaulted, robbed, threatened, falsely imprisoned, and kidnapped, and in some cases, the attackers have recorded embarrassing videos of their victims and threatened to post them on social media if they dare report.

The gang sets up fake Grindr accounts and arranges to meet male foreigners under false pretences. Consequently, members of the public have been warned to sign up and use such platforms with caution and due diligence, since the app, like many others, lacks features for authenticating user profiles.

This creates risks of fake or predatory accounts on the platform, according to detectives.

Grindr is designed to help male users find interested male partners in their area. It also has a ‘filters menu’ that lets you sort users by age, proximity, preferences and their online status. Following the increase in such targeted attacks, a spokesperson for the App recently said they had partnered with local law enforcement and government agencies to provide in-app warning alerts.

They have also admitted that bad actors may attempt to misuse its services and put users at risk, similar to any service, but they have put measures in place to ensure a safe and authentic environment free of harmful and fake accounts.

The gang’s modus operandi appears to be the same worldwide.

Three months ago, in Canada, Edmonton police charged six teens in what they termed “targeted assault” and robbery after they used the social media app to lure the victim under false pretences.

Police have also warned that this use of social media to lure and assault people is alarming and unacceptable.

“Be mindful when first meeting someone you only know through online channels. Always plan a location and tell friends where you are going,” police advise.