A message posted on two Facebook groups with more than 200,000 combined members claims Safaricom, Kenya’s biggest telecoms company, is giving away cash, phones, airtime and internet bundles.
It reads: “Safaricom black Friday! Is your number among the few selected by Safaricom to receive its offers during this Black Friday Period? Included offers are KSh 6,200 M-Pesa cash, new Samsung S8 phone, KSh 1,200 all network airtime, 28 GB no expiry data.”
The message, which is also circulating on WhatsApp, ends with a link to the website safaricomblackfri.com.
Safaricom usually posts its promotions on its official website – safaricom.co.ke – but this offer can’t be found there. Is it legit? We checked.
The site safaricomblackfri.com seems unaffiliated to Safaricom and has an amateur design.
It tells visitors to submit their phone number to “check if it is among the 12,400 numbers selected to get the black friday offer”.
Africa Check entered a series of random and nonexistent phone numbers, but were still given apparently good news: “Congratulations, your number has been selected to receive a KES 6,200 M-Pesa cash for free!” But to redeem the cash, visitors are required to share the message on 12 WhatsApp groups.
On 24 November 2020, a Twitter user posted a screenshot of the message with the comment “@Safaricom_Care see your people.”
Safaricom responded: “Hi. Please be wary of fraudulent Ads. This is not legit.”
The message is a scam. Learn how to identify scams on Facebook in our comprehensive guide. – Dancan Bwire
It reads: “Safaricom black Friday! Is your number among the few selected by Safaricom to receive its offers during this Black Friday Period? Included offers are KSh 6,200 M-Pesa cash, new Samsung S8 phone, KSh 1,200 all network airtime, 28 GB no expiry data.”
The message, which is also circulating on WhatsApp, ends with a link to the website safaricomblackfri.com.
Safaricom usually posts its promotions on its official website – safaricom.co.ke – but this offer can’t be found there. Is it legit? We checked.
‘Be wary of fraudulent ads’
The site safaricomblackfri.com seems unaffiliated to Safaricom and has an amateur design.
It tells visitors to submit their phone number to “check if it is among the 12,400 numbers selected to get the black friday offer”.
Africa Check entered a series of random and nonexistent phone numbers, but were still given apparently good news: “Congratulations, your number has been selected to receive a KES 6,200 M-Pesa cash for free!” But to redeem the cash, visitors are required to share the message on 12 WhatsApp groups.
On 24 November 2020, a Twitter user posted a screenshot of the message with the comment “@Safaricom_Care see your people.”
Hi. Please be wary of fraudulent Ads. This is not legit. ^GB
— Safaricom Care (@Safaricom_Care) November 24, 2020
Safaricom responded: “Hi. Please be wary of fraudulent Ads. This is not legit.”
The message is a scam. Learn how to identify scams on Facebook in our comprehensive guide. – Dancan Bwire
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