Ugee

Malaba, Uganda:  Scammers have targeted a town on the Uganda-Kenya border with an elaborate fraud - setting up a fake bank and taking deposits, before fleeing. The bank opened an office in Malaba town, advertised on radio and took $100,000 in deposits. But when investors turned up to reclaim their money, all they found was a note saying: Sorry the bank operations have been moved to a new place. The note did not say where.

The scammers had paid for food, rent and advertising with fake cheques. Richard Ojore, the landlord of the building where the fraudsters set up shop thought he was on to a good start when he was paid  a cheque for a whole years rent. The cheque bounced. He told the BBC's Network Africa programme. "By the time I reported back to Malaba, they had already fled." He said.

The BBC's Abraham Odeke in Malaba says crowds of people gathered outside the bank's offices as the story spread. He says most of them are retail traders and the small-scale farmers from the villages surrounding Malaba. But he says all that is left inside the office of Visa Finance Bank are empty chairs - the cashiers, fans and even the carpets have all gone. Police in Malaba are investigating.

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