IN SHORT: Be wary of Facebook pages that ask you to pay a fee before accessing a loan. This Facebook account using the name of Zenka Kenya, a digital credit provider, is not legitimate.
The Facebook page Zenka Loan would have you believe that it is run by Zenka Kenya, a digital credit provider.
The page offers Kenyans loans ranging from KSh4,000 to KSh500,000 (US$30 to 3,440).
One of its posts, dated 3 September 2023, asks Facebook users to specify the amount of loan they need, between KSh5,000 and KSh200,000 ($35 to 1,375).
It then reaches out to those who comment and asks them to send a private message. Its posts feature the logo and graphics of Zenka Kenya.
The posts appear on Facebook groups with thousands of members here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
But is the Facebook page and its offers legit? We checked.
Fake Facebook page, fake offers
The “page transparency” section of the Facebook page shows that it was created on 3 April 2023. This section does not include a website address or phone number, which is unusual for a company claiming to be genuine.
We found only two updates on the Facebook page’s timeline since it was created. However, suspiciously, it has posted several times across other Facebook groups. Little to no activity on a Facebook page's timeline is usually a sign of a fake page.
Zenka’s official Facebook page has over 63,000 followers and is linked to directly from the company’s website www.zenka.co.ke.
We reached out to the suspicious Facebook page via direct message and were asked to pay a compulsory “approval fee” of KSh399 for the loan to be disbursed. Having to pay a fee to access a loan is a clear indication of a scam.
The ads posted on Facebook by the Zenka Loan page are a scam.
To protect yourself against scams, read our guide to Facebook scams and how to spot them. Report any suspicious Facebook posts by clicking on the three dots at the top-right corner of the post and choosing “report post” from the dropdown menu.
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