In a startling case of identity theft, Brian Mwenda Njagi managed to gain unauthorized access to the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) portal and assumed the identity of one of its members. Here’s how this security breach unfolded:
1. Unauthorized Access:
Brian Mwenda Njagi gained illicit access to the LSK portal, a platform central to Kenya’s legal profession.
2. Identifying a Similar Name:
He strategically chose to impersonate an LSK member with a name remarkably similar to his own, Brian Mwenda Ntwiga.
3. Legitimate Member’s Alert:
The genuine lawyer, Brian Mwenda Ntwiga, realized he could no longer log into the system and promptly reported this issue to LSK.
4. Investigation Initiated:
Upon receiving the report, LSK initiated an emergency investigation to understand how this breach occurred and how an imposter could infiltrate their system.
5. Suspicious Email Address Change:
During the investigation, it was discovered that the email address associated with Brian Mwenda Ntwiga’s account had been altered without his knowledge or consent.
6. The Business Email Compromise (BEC) Scheme:
Preliminary findings indicated that Brian Mwenda Njagi likely employed a common international fraud scheme known as Business Email Compromise (BEC). In this scheme, the criminal (in this case, Brian Mwenda) identified an inactive advocate status, leading to his interaction with the LSK secretariat.
7. False Application for Payment:
The imposter tried to apply for payment of his practicing certificate but was unable to do so due to incorrect email credentials. This was an essential moment in unraveling the security breach.
8. Unauthorized Profile Changes:
Once granted access, Brian Mwenda Njagi proceeded to manipulate his profile picture and workplace information. He also submitted an application and payment for a practicing certificate.
9. Further Documentation Required:
Although he managed to initiate the application process, his request was not fully processed as he was required to provide additional documents, including the certificate of business incorporation.
10. Involvement of Law Enforcement:
LSK, aware of the gravity of the situation, invited the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to take action. They launched a manhunt for Brian Mwenda and any potential collaborators involved in the security breach.
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