Online Scams In Kenya & Scammer Contacts [Exposed 2025]

Online scams in Kenya continue to evolve, and people fall victim every day. These online scammers have graduated from simple SMS cons to pulling off complex social engineering tricks that could make even Nairobi landlords seem honest. Every week, there’s a new online scam making rounds on Kenyan WhatsApp groups, Instagram stories, etc. Kenyastax.com is not just going to list online scams in Kenya—we’ll expose them and show you how not to be their next story on Citizen TV’s Sunday Special.

We will also list the phone numbers they use and the list will get updated daily as new numbers get discovered.

If you have fallen victim to a scam or actually know a scam that exists and is not on this list, please submit it to us at admin@kenyastax.com or via the contact form embedded in this article. We’ll include them in this list. You can also submit any phone numbers that you know have been used in WhatsApp scams etc to us including the details of the scam. The scams listed on this page are not entirely executed online, some are just via text. We have embedded the actual messages that scammers send under each type of scam. Now let’s get into it.

1. M-Pesa Reversal Scams

This is where you receive an SMS text from a random number containing an edit M-Pesa message stating that you have received some money from so and so. Seconds later, someone calls you stating that they are from Safaricom Customer Care and that they “mistakenly” sent you money. They ask for a refund—oh, and you can keep KES 300 or so for being such a nice Kenyan.

“TBQ9VAZPTT Confirmed. You have received Ksh5,530.00 from MOHAMMED ALI on 26/2/25. New MPESA balance is Ksh(*Locked*). To unlock dial *35*0000*16#” ~ Sent by this phone number: +254785153907

To be honest, no Kenyan accidentally sends money over 500 bob without first checking the name three times. Not with this economy. If someone really sent you 9K by mistake and is willing to give you 300 for “help,” just know you’re the one about to make the mistake.

How to Avoid M-Pesa Reversal Scams:

• Confirm all transactions via M-Pesa app or dial *234#.
• Don’t be soft-hearted. Being “a good person” is how they get you. Confirm first before entering that pin.
• Don’t reverse money until Safaricom confirms it actually was sent to your account.

2. Online Scams In Kenya: Products Review Job Scams

You receive a message on WhatsApp promising KES 9,000 per day for simply “reviewing products online.” No experience needed. They just need to know your age and whether you have Telegram.

“Good day! This is Lise Anne from DUBUY Online Shopping, can you work from home with us as a Reviewer and Surveyor part-timer or full-timer? with a salary earn up to 9000KES daily. Are you available? Your job is to visit selected products on DUBUY Online, take screenshots only and send them to us. We pay 75 KSH for each product you visit and you can earn up to 4,000-9,000 KSH per day. Before we start may I know How old are you? Do you have Telegram App?” ~ sent via WhatsApp by this number: +1(361) 243-9342.

If someone is earning KES 9,000 daily by reviewing bedsheets online, why are they still using a Telkom line?

Let’s call it what it is. This is a glorified pyramid scheme wrapped in a Gmail signature. Run and don’t look back.

How to Avoid Online Investment Scams In Kenya:

• If someone promises easy money in Nairobi, it’s either a scam or a music video. No one getting paid KES 9,000 per day would bother a stressed Nairobian like this, they would earn their salary in silence.
• Research the companies first. Look for websites that don’t look like they were built during Moi’s regime. Use common sense.

3. Online Scams In Kenya: Impersonation of Famous Figures on Facebook e.g Preachers

This applies to followers of public figures e.g religious leaders. You spot a Facebook post, comment or receive a DM from someone who looks exactly like let’s say, Archbishop Harrison Ng’ang’a, Pastor T. Mwangi or even Pastor Ezekiel Odero among other men of God. They bless you in all caps, tell you witches have tied your destiny with mirror magic, then ask you to send KES 100 “for an unlocking miracle.”

“𝘽𝙒𝘼𝙉𝘼 𝙔𝙀𝙎𝙐 𝘼𝙎𝙄𝙁𝙄𝙒𝙀 𝙈𝙒𝘼𝙉𝘼𝙉𝙂𝙐

*USIDHARAU UJUMBE HUU MAANA SI KAWAIDA MIMI KAMA NABII KUKUNENEA NA UNAPUUZA* *NI VIZURI LEO UTII NENO LA MUNGU* *Niko maombini USIPUUZE UJUMBE KUNA ROHO YA MAFANIKIO JUU YAKO MEZUILIWA ANGANI NA NGUVU ZA MAPEPO AMBAYO YANATUMWA NA MAMA WAWILI WALIO KUENDEA UCHAWI* *Maana ukiangalia maisha yako, Baraka Zako, kufanikiwa kwako kumefungwa na Hawa wamama WAWILI WALIO KUENDEA UCHAWI na kutumia kioo… Kwa hivyo simama na sadaka ya SH.100*Tuma sadaka yako saa hii through MY NUMBER 0116171678 Living water delivery Mchungaji *** EZEKIELODERO** New Life Church)* Baada ya kutuma nitakupigia simu saa hii nikuombee nikufungue utashangaa sana pia NITAKUAMBIA MAJINA YAO Moja baada ya mwingine na usishangae kuwajua maana ni watu wa karibu nawe na utafunguliwa hutalia Tena maishani *Ni Nabii Ev.Ezekiel uliye mtazama WETV* amen nakupigia nikiona nambari yako sasa hivi iam ready to help all AMEN ..” ~ this is a real message sent on Facebook comments by someone claiming to be Pastor Ezekiel Odero.

We tried sending one shilling to this number and it’s actually registered with the name “Ezekiel Odero” a fake of course. These scammers are actually trying to tarnish the names of the men of God. If a man of God is in “deep prayer” but still has time to text 300 random followers asking for KES 100 at 11PM, please ask yourself: is that prayer or prepaid hustle?

And let’s be honest—KES 100 would unlock a 200MB YouTube bundle at best not an “instant miracle”.

How to Avoid This Scam:

• Check the Facebook page’s creation date and number of followers.
• Most public figure accounts are verified and have blue ticks. Some may not verified but majority have a huge following. So check the account following and recent activity.
• Public figures and especially preachers have no time whatsoever to DM you. They are always busy doing God’s work.
• When in doubt, call the official ministry phone number or visit the real church page.

4. Online Scams In Kenya: Fake Meta Messages & Phishing via Facebook Messenger Inbox

This scam is where you open Facebook Messenger and are greeted by a very serious-looking message from “Facebook” or “Meta.” They say your post violated Community Standards, quote something disturbing, and offer a button to “Continue.” You click it—thinking you’re being helpful—but instead you’re sharing login details or triggering a hack. The link is normally opened via the browser and the URL is either misspelt or entirely different. It contains a form that looks like the normal login page on Facebook and prompt you to login to verify your account.

Once you enter your username and password then click the login button, nothing happens but in actual fact they have received your username and password through that form. In fact, you could get an error stating that you entered the wrong password. This is a scheme to ensure they capture your correct password just incase you had mistyped it initially. Once you have made many or just few tries, they take your password and login to your actual account and change the password.

[Beginning of message]

[Visual: Facebook Logo]
Centered at the top is the classic Facebook logo — white lowercase “facebook” text on a solid blue background.

[Text Content]

We Removed Something You Posted
It looks like something you posted doesn’t follow our Community Standards.

People survive in gun shots. I have personally talked to someone who shot herself in the head and survived. She even thought it’s already too late when she was brought to the hospital but still she survived. She became disabled and it just became an additional problem.

If you hang yourself and the rope breaks or the part where you tied the rope breaks, you will survive. You will just experience a lot of pain and discomfort for days, weeks or months. It will just add to your problem and agony. It also has a long-term effect on your neck and inside your neck.

Poison? Chemical? Gas? People survived it.

Jump off a train or building? People survived it.

I don’t have the right to tell you to not commit suicide. It will just seem like I don’t understand what you’re going through or how you’re feeling.

I DO UNDERSTAND. I’ve been in mental and emotional agony for years. I still wanted to die even to this day, everyday.

My point is committing suicide will just result in addition of more problems, pain and suffering.

I can still feel all the shame, guilt, pain and the thought of being so hopeless and being misunderstood.

I know a way how to end my life fast, easy and painless but I will never tell you. I still chose to live even if I don’t know how.

Why? I just noticed that life is changing everyday. Sometimes it’s not good, like really bad, sometimes things change for the better even if you are not doing anything. Life is full of surprises.

I know some of us here are in a dead end situation like there’s really no point in living. I’ve been there lots of times. Things change. Nothing in life is permanent.

That’s all I can say for now. My life is full of shit right now. I’ve been thinking about finally ending it too. But I have lots of things to try first (things I haven’t done yet) before I end my life.

[Visual: Continue Button]
At the bottom of the message is a large blue “Continue” button with white text centered inside it, meant for user interaction.

[END of message]

Since when did Facebook contact people directly via Messenger to “review their content” one by one? Meta doesn’t do DMs. They barely answer emails.

How to Avoid Facebook Phishing Scams:

• Never click suspicious buttons inside Messenger.
• Meta sends official alerts through app notifications or email—not DMs.
• If you’re unsure, go directly to your account’s Support Inbox via settings.
• Use two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect your Facebook account.

5. “Tuma Kwa Hii Number” Scam

This is another scam that majority of the people spot. You get a message saying that you should send(I don’t know what) to this number. They go ahead to provide the number or the number is assumed to be the one that has just sent that number. Its meant to create a notion that the line they were using is misbehaving and that the new number is the one to be used. None of those issues exist. It is just a scheme to prompt you to send money.

“Tuma kwa hii” ~ sent by +254722749959

The only line that should misbehave is the queue at Huduma Centre—not a random person’s number.

How to Avoid This Scam:

• If you received the scam message while you were just about to send someone money, call the actual person first and confirm. Otherwise, just block the number and go on.
• Anyone rushing you to send money in five minutes is running faster than your common sense. Pause.

6. Rent Payment Scams

This is a common scam that is used at the end of every month. You get an SMS text saying your landlord has changed the rent payment method. The message looks official, sometimes even capitalising “MANAGEMENT” like it’s a government parastatal.

Real Message:

“Dear tenant, rent payment is now via MPESA till4975868(SECURE)due to problems with our regular rent account. PAY ON TIME. No other payment accepted. Management.” ~ sent by +254106498482.

Your landlord/agent can’t fix your broken tap, but suddenly they’ve updated their rent payment systems overnight? Eh. The math isn’t mathing.

How to Avoid Rent Scams:

• Contact your actual agent/landlord and confirm if that is actually the case.
• Don’t pay till you confirm from the agent/landlord.

7. School Payment Scams

You receive a text SMS that your child didn’t pay full fees, or they need urgent money for a trip, medical emergency, or “exam processing.”

“Dear Parent/Guardian;
Your child did not report to school with all the requirements stipulated in the newsletter. Also complete 75% of the school fees, failure to which will be sent home tomorrow to collect the same as the others begin their opening exams. Contact the school’s accounts office via 0762307109 for inquiries. All payments should be made through our school’s Paybill Account below;
Playbill: 714777
Account: 420200367862
Regards: School Management

” ~ sent by +254102476402

The reality is that no school randomly sends Paybill numbers via SMS. Also, since when do schools start “processing” exams like visa applications?

How to Avoid School Scams:

• Confirm with your child and school directly before taking any action.
• Block these numbers as soon as you’ve confirmed they are scammers.

8. Online Scams In Kenya: Fake Job and Internship Offers

You’re told you got a job/internship—no interview needed. All you have to do is pay a “registration,” “uniform,” or “orientation” fee.

“Congratulations! You’re selected. Send 1,500 to 0723 XXXX for orientation kit.”

In Nairobi, getting a real job is like seeing a traffic-free Monday. If someone gives you a job without seeing your dusty CV, then its definitely a scam.

How to Avoid Fake Job/Internship Offers:

• Real employers don’t charge for jobs. Legit jobs have a recruitment structure that does NOT include any payment whatsoever.
• Search for jobs on official websites and government portals e.g psckjobs.go.ke, opportunitiesforyoungkenyans.co.ke, myjobmag.co.ke and brightermonday.co.ke etc.

9. Online Scams In Kenya: Romance & Emergency Love Scams

You meet someone online via dating apps or social media. After 2 days, they call you “babe.” By Day 3, they need money for hospital bills or bus fare to Kitale.

“Babe, I miss you. But my cousin is in hospital. Please help with 2K. I’ll pay back.”

Now, even Safaricom doesn’t call you “babe” although they charge you daily for using their services. Anyone who’s broke after 48 hours of chatting is not looking for love—they’re looking for mpesa.

How to Avoid Romance Scams:

• It’s simple, if you haven’t met them in real life, don’t fund their life.
• Block anyone whose love language is financial pressure.

10. Online Scams In Kenya: Fake Online Deals

You see a page/website offering unbelievable discounts: iPhone 14 at KES 8,000. The catch? You must pay for delivery or pay the full amount first.

“Pay now. Offer ends today. 2-hr delivery. WhatsApp 0799 XXX XXX.”

The only thing delivered in 2 hours in Nairobi is gossip. Not phones. And especially not iPhones.

How to Avoid Fake Online Deals Scam:

• If the iPhone is that cheap, it’s either stolen, fake, or imaginary.
• Only shop from verified platforms and use cash on delivery where possible.

Online Scams In Kenya: Scammer Contacts

Submit Online Scams In Kenya

Use the form below to submit the details including phone number used of the scammer and the scam details. We will review then publish them in the above table.

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How to Report Online Scams In Kenya

Message to Kenyan Scammers:
“Brother, sister — chasing after quick money is a treadmill to nowhere. Proverbs 20:17 reminds us, ‘Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel.’ Swap your fake text SMS for the true riches of Christ. Be blessed.

Online scams in Kenya are in a league of their own. They’re fast, convincing, and creative—but so are you. Stay informed, question everything, and trust your gut (and your mother’s instincts), you’ll beat them at their own game.

James 1:5 offers this:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Let’s be prudent. Let’s be vigilant. And if something smells fishy, it probably belongs in Gikomba—not in your M-Pesa.

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