Woman Linked to Amazon Web Worker Ponzi Scheme Arrested at JKIA After Landing from the US

A suspect linked to the Amazon Web Worker Ponzi scheme has been arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

Stacey Marie Parker Blake, 50, was apprehended on Friday upon landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi from the US.

Her arrest followed intensive investigations that linked her to the Ponzi scheme in which Kenyans were defrauded of millions of shillings.

“In a well-coordinated and orchestrated scheme, investors were duped into investing their money in an online app known as Amazon Web Worker, on the premise that they would earn huge profits of up to 38% for a deposit lasting only 7 days,” DCI said.

“Social media platforms were awash with advertisements wooing Kenyans to the mouthwatering scheme, that promised to double one’s deposits in a month. In one such advertisement, investors who deposited Sh100,000 were promised Sh351,000 after 30 days.”
 
Hundreds of unsuspecting Kenyans downloaded the app, registered, and made their deposits while referred their spouses, children, and close friends to the scheme in a bid to make a fortune overnight.

“It is not until when the app was deleted from the internet without prior notice, that the investors discovered they had been duped. They were shocked to learn that the app was not in any way linked to Amazon, a multinational technology company based in the United States,” said DCI.

“The app went down with deposits worth hundreds of millions of shillings from gullible investors, who had hoped to hit the jackpot, once their deposits earned profits.”

Detectives linked Stacey to the syndicate after investigations revealed that she had pay-bill accounts in her name that had a balance of Sh50 million, believed to be deposits made by Amazon Web Worker victims.

Detectives are also pursuing other suspects believed to be part of the syndicate. 

Stacey is in police custody pending arraignment in court to face money laundering, computer fraud, among other charges.