IN SHORT: Many Kenyans struggling financially might jump at the opportunity to get products like smartphones on credit and flexible instalments. But not all offers on Facebook are legit and this is a dodgy page on a scamming spree.
The Facebook page Lipa Mdogo Mdogo Smart Devices appears to offer products like smartphones, laptops, motorbikes and TVs to Kenyans on credit.
It asks users to pay a deposit to receive the goods and then pay off the rest in instalments.
The page asks users to make their order through a phone number provided, listing various cellphones, second-hand motorbikes, laptops and home entertainment equipment.
The offers have attracted users who have flooded the page’s comment section with inquiries.
But are the offers genuine? We checked.
Questionable identity
Africa Check first noted that the page has a mixed and suspicious identity. In its profile picture on Facebook, the page uses the logo of Mkopa & Co Accountants, a consulting firm based in Botswana. Its cover photo only features a photo of a laptop.
On WhatsApp, it has retained the logo of the Botswana firm as its profile picture but on its cover photo, it uses the logo of M-Kopa, an asset finance company operating in Kenya. This is a big red flag since a reputable company wouldn’t use two conflicting logos, from two different countries.
We also noted that the Facebook page does not link to a website or app where customers can get more information. This is unusual for a reputable financial institution.
We asked the page on WhatsApp if it is associated with M-Kopa, but were told that the page was operating under Lipa Later, a financial institution in Kenya that offers consumer credit and e-commerce solutions. But this seems unlikely since Lipa Later has its own Facebook page that can be accessed from its website.
The person claimed that Lipa Later did not have an office in Nairobi and suggested that we pay a deposit for a product and wait for it to be delivered. But the company clearly indicates on its website that it operates from the Kenyan capital.
All signs point to fake offers from a fake Facebook page that should be avoided.
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