There are numerous scammers in Kenya who take advantage of desperate and jobless Kenyans to steal from them. Scammers are intelligent people, they are highly educated and Tech savvy—they can con anyone.
Before you are scammed, here are the things you should do/know:
- Investigate whether there is anyone you know that has used the service before
Before you pay for a service, always ask your friends and relatives whether they have used the service before. If possible, call any blogger you know to inquire whether the company you are about to pay is genuine. Bloggers and journalists know a lot about scamming and con games.
- Call Safaricom to inquire about the company
Usually when people are conned, they call Safaricom to report the number or to raise their complaints. If you call Safaricom and ask them whether they have had issues with the number, they will give you a genuine answer.
- Ask about their physical office and visit them before you pay
Most companies in Kenya must have physical offices. If the amount involved is huge, make sure you call the company involved, then pay them a visit while being accompanied by a friend or security officer.
- Check for reviews of the company online
There are companies with negative reviews. Type the name of the company then followed by the word scam. Google has information about every company and it’s here that you will know whether you are dealing with a scammer or not.
If you find so many negative comments, then that is a scammer.
- The deal is too good to be true
There are people who promise heaven online, they will tell you to sign up, comment, share or like their post and pay you up to Ksh100 million every week. You will be told to register with Ksh 1,000 to Ksh10,000 to become a member. Looking at the amount you are promised, you will realize that the promises are too good to be true.
Even if money is raining, nobody will be willing to give you without a sweat.
- Payment for recruitment
Any job that require you to pay money before you attend an interview is a scam. Scammer will ask you to pay a small amount claiming to be for medical, don’t pay even if they will tell you the money is refundable.
- Check comments on social media pages of the company
If the company does not have an active Facebook page, there are high chances that is a scam. If there are negative comments about the company, then be ready for a rude shock if you go ahead to pay.
- No agreement
Payment involving huge sums of money should have an agreement and the signing should involve a lawyer. If the person demanding money opposes the idea of agreement and a lawyer, then don’t pay, that’s a scammer.
- Providing sensitive personal information to unknown people/company
Whenever you are told to fill a form with your sensitive personal details like bank account, ID/Passport number, you should be very careful.
Never give out your bank details and ID number. The scammers will make a new ID card and ATM then withdraw money from your bank without your knowledge.