IN SHORT: A Facebook page using the name of Kenyan actor Brian Ogana is offering unlikely and generous cash giveaways. But it’s impersonating the actor and should be ignored.
The Facebook account Brian Luwi has been running promotions on a Facebook group in Kenya with over 144,000 members.
The account uses the name and photo of prominent Kenyan actor Brian Ogana, who played lead character Luwi Hausa in Kenya’s popular TV drama series Maria.
The account posts simple queries on the Facebook group and asks users to respond and win cash.
One of its posts, dated 4 April 2023, asks users to identify the number of letters “F” among several letters “E” to stand a chance of winning KSh98,000 instantly.
A different post published the same day asks users to wish Kenyan actor Mwanaasha Johari happy birthday. It then asks them to check their inbox “in 2 minutes”.
Similar posts appear here, here and here.
But is this Facebook account and its offers legit? We checked.
Fake Facebook account
There is very little activity on the account’s timeline but it has numerous posts on the Facebook group. It is unlikely that the actor would create a Facebook account for the main purpose of posting suspicious promotions on Facebook groups.
Besides, the promotions are too good to be true. It is unlikely that the actor would give away large sums of money for such simple tasks on social media.
Another red flag is that the account has used a photo of Ezekiel Odero, a popular Kenyan preacher who runs the New Life Prayer Centre and Church to run its promotions. This, too, is unlikely of the actor.
Ogana’s official Facebook page – Sir Luwi Hausa - Brian Ogana – is verified and has more than 800,000 followers. It has been active since 30 September 2019. No such promotions appear on the page.
The other account and its promotions are fake.
To help protect yourself against online scams, see Africa Check’s guide to Facebook scams and how to spot them.
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