The_Alchemist

Caleb Orem popularly known in the car trading scene as 'Ruthless Focus' once enjoyed a sterling reputation for his marketing acumen and competitive pricing. He garnered widespread acclaim among customers on socail media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and the Kenyan car community on YouTube. On his YouTube channel he reviewed cars and offered advice on various models. When he first started posting videos in 2018, they were random and unstructured. He would film himself doing daily chores and cut them into short mundane videos. As time passed, the Bachelor of Administration graduate from Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) refined his expertise and eventually built his own networks in the car importation business. He even quit his job to focus fully on the new venture. But recent revelations have brought to light a pattern of deception that has left many of his customers reeling in the pain of losing their hard earned money. Over the past few months, dozens of distressed victims have bravely come forward to share their harrowing experiences after placing their trust in Caleb for assistance in importing vehicles from Japan. One such victim who spoke to us on Sunday, 28 April 2024 recounted how recounted how they initially admired Caleb's hustle and apparent success and decided to promote his business. This turned out to be a terrible mistake. "Hello Nyakundi, I'm sure you've come across the name Caleb Orem (Ruthless Focus). He's a car dealer well known here on X and YouTube. His marketing skills and competitive prices made him outstanding in the car business. Everyone vouched for him since he conducted legitimate business here on X," the victim disclosed. Initially, everything seemed above board with assurances of transparency and reliability. "I've been following him and planned to import or source a car through him in Mombasa (he was helping people for a fee). Last year, I reached out to him via the WhatsApp number in his bio. I wanted him to source a car for me in Mombasa but he convinced me to import a similar unit from Japan at the same price. I didn't have any problems with him importing my car since he seemed very legitimate, and I did thorough research on X without finding any dirt on him," the victim shared. But as the wheels of the deal started turning what seemed like a promising partnership soon turned sour. "I agreed to let him import the unit. Early this year, I made my first deposit, and he shared the agreement with me on WhatsApp. Since I was in Nairobi and his office is in Nyali, we communicated through WhatsApp. The agreement stated that I had to make a 60% deposit to start the importation process. I asked him to keep me updated on any developments," the source continues. As the transaction progressed, communication with Caleb became increasingly sporadic with calls going unanswered and messages left unread. "One of his victims came online and tweeted asking if anyone knew where Ruthless was because they had been looking for him for over a week, but his lines were off. After that tweet went viral, the car tweeter community went hard on him. He didn't address the matter urgently but instead he waited for like two days before coming online and tweeting a video of himself explaining nonsense. Mind you, during all that time he didn't even reach out to us the victims before tweeting. It was arrogance at its best," the victim told us. United by betrayal, the victims formed support groups, only to face further manipulation from the perpetrator himself. Zoom meetings became battlegrounds of lies and excuses, as Caleb desperately sought to prolong his escape. "I later found out that there were more than 15 victims Caleb Orem had conned. We formed a WhatsApp group for morale support to show that I'm not alone. He noticed we had formed a WhatsApp group (there was a snitch, a lady called Ambasa who was really defending him here on X, I guess he was getting info from her because she came also as a victim) and one day called for a zoom meeting with all his clients. We all attended, but he came prepared with lies to manage each one of us and buy time so he could go into hiding," the victim recounts in his submission. Despite their efforts, the victim says seeking justice has been an uphill battle for victims like them. "I realized that these were all games so I went to the DCI offices to report the matter. I have an OB and most if not all of us recorded statements at different locations. We left the matter to the DCI to follow up but it's been frustrating. The truth is these DCI officers seem to only want to exploit the victim. When they see me, they just think of money. They were asking for a ridiculous amount of money. I told them I'd pay that sum immediately if Caleb is arrested. I gave them some money to start off but it's been hectic working with them because I haven't seen any substantial progress. I think I'll have to opt for other options. Caleb conned his supplier too. He was supposed to send the remaining balance after some cars arrived at the port of Mombasa. His clients had already paid him enough money for C&F but he diverted the money for other things. I've seen people talking nonsense here on X saying that some guys were just tarnishing his reputation but they can't relate because they're not the victims. I just want the DCI to do their job," the victim further laments. "The funny part is that the last email he sent us was demanding that we sign a refund form after telling me the whole time that my car had already been bought. Pure lies. When you check the refund form you wonder why I need to provide him with all that information when he already has my account details. Check the refund form attached below. If anyone knows where this conman is hiding, please let us know as there are arrest warrants out for him from various locations. He's currently in hiding and only communicates via email. Let him present himself to the nearest police station because it's gonna be nasty for him. I hope with your reach and connections someone will help me along with his victims. Thank you," the victim concludes.