Police have arrested seven more people in Iganga District over an alleged cyber fraud operation that involved impersonating First Daughter Natasha Karugire to trick members of the public into sending money.
The suspects are accused of running fake social media accounts that claimed Karugire was offering financial assistance to Ugandans. Victims were allegedly told they had been selected to receive financial support but first had to pay registration fees before the money could be released.
The arrests come about five months after police detained four other suspects linked to a similar scam in the same district.
Speaking to journalists on Monday, police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said the latest suspects were arrested during an operation in Nandekula A Village, Nakigo Sub-county, Iganga District.
According to Rusoke, investigators found that the group was using the same tactics as those arrested earlier this year. They allegedly created fake online profiles using Natasha Karugire’s identity to convince people they were eligible for financial assistance.
He said the fraudsters promised victims cash support before demanding registration payments, after which many victims reportedly lost their money.
Rusoke recalled that in February, police arrested four cyber fraud suspects accused of carrying out an almost identical scheme.
“At that time, they were pretending to be First Daughter Natasha Karugire and claiming she was offering financial support. They asked beneficiaries to first pay registration fees before receiving the money. We have now arrested seven more suspects using the same method,” he said.
Police have urged Ugandans to be extra careful when approached with offers of financial assistance through social media.
Rusoke warned that genuine aid providers do not ask beneficiaries to send money before receiving support. He encouraged the public to ignore such requests and report suspicious accounts to the authorities.
Police also expressed concern over the growing number of cyber fraud cases originating from Iganga District.
Rusoke said investigators have noticed a worrying trend, with the district increasingly emerging as a base for online scammers. He said police are working on measures to dismantle the networks responsible for the fraud.
The latest arrests follow an investigation that began earlier this year after Natasha Karugire reported fake TikTok and WhatsApp accounts that were using her name and photographs to deceive the public.
In the earlier operation, police said the suspects mainly targeted people seeking financial assistance. They allegedly collected registration and processing fees from victims before cutting off communication.
During those investigations, detectives recovered several mobile phones and SIM cards believed to have been used to coordinate the scam.
Karugire has repeatedly warned the public not to send money to anyone claiming to represent her online. She has maintained that she has never asked anyone to pay in exchange for financial assistance and has advised Ugandans to rely only on her verified TikTok account, @Natashakarugire83.
Police said investigations into the latest arrests are continuing as detectives work to identify and apprehend other members of the suspected fraud network.
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