DCI Reveal How 24-Year-Old Woman Conned Airbnb Lovers In 4 Counties

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Friday, December 1 narrated a series of tricks a 24-year-old woman linked to a series of fraud cases targeting Airbnb customers used prior to her arrest.

In a statement, DCI shed light on the meticulous scheme orchestrated by Sheila Wakesho Matasa, a prime suspect in a series of fraud cases reported in Nairobi, Kiambu, Kisumu and Mombasa counties by holidaymakers.

Wakeshi is currently behind bars after detectives in Kiambaa, Kiambu County nabbed her at a bank lobby on Thursday, November 30.

"The 24-year-old was arrested in the fast-growing satellite town of Ruaka, as she sought assistance at a bank that had frozen her account over multiple suspicious transactions," stated the DCI in part.

Screengrabs of Facebook accounts advertising Airbnbs in Mombasa. /DCI

In a well-choreographed scheme that milked both local and foreign coast-goers to the bones, the daring Wakesho opened several social media platforms purporting to own several AirBnBs in the coastal region of Mombasa, drawing a followership of over 10,000 unsuspecting fun lovers.

DCI revealed that some of her accounts on Facebook include Lifestyle Beachfront AirBnB, Mombasa Raha AirBnB and Shah Tours. Notably, most of the information used to advertise "her" fancy AirBnBs was plagiarized and the uploaded photos bear copyright ownership.

After netting her targets who could only reach her online, the quiet suspect with loud deals directed them to channel booking fees to a mobile money pay bill or till number as well as a bank account, after which she would vanish leaving them stranded along beaches, bus stations, SGR terminals and airports.

"So cunning has been Wakesho that she used multiple subscriber SIM cards interchangeably to cover her tracks, which were registered in different names mostly using stolen ID cards," added the DCI.

In one of the incidents that exposed her after months of trailing, she obtained an unrevealed sum of money from a banker who would not let the money go without a face and a name.

After the foul play, the banker tipped the detectives who swiftly got their feet on her neck.

Following the arrest, DCI stations around the Nairobi region including DCI Kilimani, Kasarani, Thika, Kiambaa and DCI Kiambu are processing files for her arraignment, as she awaits collection by other counties where her crimes have been reported.

Recently, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) sought Airbnb Ireland UC (Airbnb), a multinational company operating an online marketplace for short- and long-term homestays and experiences, asking for information regarding transactions done by the homestays in Kenya.

The taxman had requested Airbnb to provide a limited amount of data about historical transactions that took place on the Airbnb platform during the period from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022.

Airbnb further noted that the disclosed data will identify the Kenyan hosts who rented their houses through the platform as well as how much they earned from their customers who rented the homestays for the period of their choosing.

This means that the affected users whose information will be shared will be notified through a message once their details are sent to KRA.

"Irish Revenue will now be communicating to each Kenyan user, whose data is being shared, that their data is being sent to KRA under an exchange of information request," stated Airbnb on November 8.

"Your earnings on Airbnb are subject to Kenyan tax regulations. If you need to file a tax return, remember that you have a legal obligation to accurately report your earnings on Airbnb to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA)."