Wambo Ashley, partner to popular content creator Nicholas Kioko, has shared a cautionary tale of how a routine morning scroll on social media led to a significant financial loss.

While resting in bed with her child, Rowena, Ashley came across what appeared to be the perfect home for her young family on TikTok.

The couple had been searching for a new property for some time as part of a planned "moving out" series for their followers. Ashley spotted a listing for a spacious mansion in an estate near Roysambu.

A Deal Too Good to Be True

The property was advertised at a monthly rent of 40,000 KES. Given the size and location of the mansion, the price was remarkably low. Ashley contacted the "agent" listed on the TikTok page, who quickly provided a phone number for the supposed landlady.

During their conversation, the woman on the phone used an emotional narrative to build trust. She claimed she had originally built the house for her own family.

However, she said they were forced to relocate because her husband had secured a job outside the country. She told Ashley she was looking for a "young family" who would take good care of the property, which she used to justify the low rent.

"I was excited about how I would surprise babe with a cheap house."

The Pressure to Pay

To create a sense of urgency, the scammers told Ashley that interest in the mansion was extremely high. They pointed to the high volume of comments on the TikTok post as evidence of the competition. Ashley was told that the property would be given to whoever paid first.

Under pressure to secure the home before other viewers arrived, Ashley decided to send the money before even seeing the property in person.

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"The confusing part was when she told me to send money before I went to view the house. He convinced me that the house was on high demand andfor sure from the comments, everyone was asking about it, so I had to believe him,” she added.

The Double Payment

The financial loss occurred in two stages. Ashley initially used 40,000 KES that had been set aside for her child’s school fees to pay the “agent.” In her rush to ensure the booking was final, she then sent a second payment of 40,000 KES directly to the "landlady."

She believed that the two individuals were working together and that the first payment to the agent would eventually be settled between them. Instead, both parties disappeared with the funds.

The incident has served as a stark reminder of the risks associated with online housing advertisements.

What began as an exciting new chapter for the Kioko family ended as a costly lesson in the tactics used by modern fraudsters.