MP Stephen Mule Accuses Kenyan Man Of Hacking His M-Pesa And Bank Accounts, Stealing KSh 133k

• Matungulu MP Stephen Mule was a victim of a cybercrime attack as his M-Pesa and bank accounts were hacked
• A suspect identified as Boniface Kipng'etich Kirui, 22, was accused of stealing KSh 133,785 from his M-Pesa and bank accounts
• The 22-year-old denied the allegations and was remanded until September 27, when the case will be mentioned

Matungulu Member of Parliament (MP) Stephen Mule has expressed his shock and fear in court after his M-Pesa and bank accounts were allegedly hacked.

While testifying, the lawmaker said cybercrime hackers were milking unsuspecting citizens high and dry.

How much was stolen from Stephen Mule?

The MP was a victim of hacking as a suspect identified as Boniface Kipng'etich Kirui, 22, was accused of stealing KSh 133,785 from his M-Pesa and bank accounts.

Mule said hackers were on the loose, leading to losses of thousands of money.

"Nobody is safe in this country, including investors and multinational companies, as hackers with immense skills in manipulating people's bank accounts are on the loose and withdrawing huge sums of money from the accounts without their knowledge," Mule said as he appeared before Milimani magistrate Gilbert Shikwe on Wednesday, August 30 as reported by Daily Nation.

Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, cybercrime expert Allan Lwala explained the fraud was a case of social engineering.

"They (the fraudsters) got the details by dumpster diving, then registered a line in his name, then took out loans and overdraft.

We leave our details at entry points. What happens to those books? According to the KDPA, those records need to be handled, stored and discarded well. However, I highly doubt they are. I can also take a photo of the book while signing. Or save numbers as I sign. One is required by law to leave your details at the entrance. However to a bad actor, that's a treasure trove of data," Lwala expounded.

How hackers accessed Stephen Mule's accounts

Mule claimed the hackers took digital loans using information he left when visiting a health centre during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He revealed they accessed his M-Pesa account and withdrew money before using other mobile loan platforms to borrow money.

He accused the suspect of forging his national identity card. Kirui denied the allegations and was remanded until September 27, when the case will be mentioned.

How SIM swap swappers stole MP

In related news, SIM Swap Scammers who swindled KSh 910,000 from a Rift Valley MP's Bank account were arrested.

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives unmasked the mastermind of the infamous Mulot SIM swap syndicate, David Mutai alias Hillary Langat Matindwet.

Detectives said Mutai's accomplices siphoned KSh 941,000 from a bank account belonging to a Member of Parliament from Rift Valley.

The sleuths asked Kenyans not to use their birth year as their Personal Identification Number (PIN).