Police in Kenya have arrested a female suspect accused of defrauding an American national out of $431,000 under the pretext that she could supply 400 kilogrammes of genuine gold bars.

Kenya's Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) stated on Sunday, May 17, 2026 that the woman, identified as Mildred Kache alias Sabreena Ayesha, was arrested in Kilimani, a high-end neighbourhood in Kenya's capital, Nairobi.

Describing Kache as "smooth-talking", DCI said she worked with her accomplices to "convince" the American national that they could supply 400 kilogrammes of gold at below-market pricing.

Using the recent average gold prices of approximately 145,000 US dollars per kilogramme, 400kgs of the precious metal should have cost at least $58 million.

'Hooked by lucrative deal'

Kache and her accomplices are alleged to have offered 400kgs of gold at slightly over $431,000, which is only 7% of the actual market value.

Kenya's DCI said the American national was "hooked by the seemingly lucrative deal" and, therefore, travelled to Nairobi to "seal the agreement."

In their statement, the DCI said: "Everything appeared convincing, as documents were drawn, negotiations held, and once the fraudulent agreement was signed, the victim transferred millions (of Kenyan shillings upon conversion) into the suspects' bank accounts believing the gold shipment would be delivered as agreed."

The DCI added that: "No sooner had the cash hit the accounts than the so-called 'gold dealers' vanished into thin air. Calls went unanswered, and not a single gramme of gold was delivered."

'Taken for a ride'

The investigative agency said the American national reported the fraud to them after it "dawned on him that he had been taken for a ride."

The DCI stated that forensic intelligence led them to Kache's residence in Kilimani, where she was arrested, while one of her suspected accomplices, identified as Ibrahim Yusuf Mohamed, managed to escape.

The DCI said Kache is "undergoing processing ahead of her arraignment", while a search for her accomplices continues in earnest.

Section 313 of Kenya's Penal Code states that the penalty for obtaining money by false pretence is a three-year imprisonment.

Cases of fake gold scams, particularly in non-gold-producing countries in Africa, have increased in recent times, with authorities urging vigilance, especially when the offered prices seem too good to be true.