Michael Otieno Onyango and Andrew Clifford Otieno — who allegedly defrauded a foreign national of USD 5.6 million. Photo DCI 
By Andrew Mbuva
In a major breakthrough in the fight against transnational fraud, detectives have dismantled a sophisticated “get-rich-quick” gold scam orchestrated by two suspects — Michael Otieno Onyango and Andrew Clifford Otieno — who allegedly defrauded a foreign national of USD 5.6 million.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the duo posed as legitimate gold dealers and targeted an American businesswoman with a fake deal involving 70 kilograms of gold. The suspects reportedly promised high returns, luring the unsuspecting investor into what appeared to be a lucrative trade.
However, their elaborate scheme began to crumble when the cautious businesswoman demanded official verification from the Ministry of Mining before proceeding with the transaction. She insisted that any gold deal must be authenticated through proper testing conducted by government officials.
While the fraudsters initially played along with her request, their deception unraveled when they failed to appear for the scheduled gold testing. Suspicious but determined to expose the scam, the businesswoman agreed to a second meeting arranged by the suspects.
On the day of the meeting, she was picked up from Yaya Centre by an accomplice posing as an associate and driven to Rose Villa Estate, where the two prime suspects awaited. Once negotiations resumed, the scammers tried to pressure her into sealing the deal — but their efforts proved futile. Realizing that their cover might be blown, they abruptly fled the scene in a blue Mazda CX-5, registration number KDP 336R.
Their attempted escape was short-lived. Detectives, acting swiftly on intelligence, intercepted the vehicle and arrested both suspects. A subsequent search of House No. 27 at Rose Villa Estate uncovered two smelting machines and nineteen smelting moulds, key evidence linking the suspects to the fraudulent operation.
Both Onyango and Otieno are currently in police custody undergoing processing and will be arraigned in court once investigations are finalized.
The DCI has since warned the public to be vigilant against fake gold deals, emphasizing that all legitimate transactions must be verified through the Ministry of Mining to curb the rising cases of gold-related fraud.
