IN SHORT: These three Facebook accounts are running promotions across Facebook groups and offer users loans and free giveaways. But beware, they are all imposters.
Three Facebook accounts Hon Rachael Rito, Hon Rachel Chebet Loans and Hon Rachael Chebet Loans are running promotions and offering free giveaways and loans to Kenyans on Facebook.
Each of the three Facebook accounts feature the photo of Rachel Ruto – the wife of Kenyan president William Ruto – as their profile picture.
The accounts want users to engage with their posts, apparently to stand a chance of winning thousands of Kenyan shillings or applying for loans.
The accounts regularly post on Kenyan Facebook groups with thousands of members.
Their posts appear here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
But are these accounts and the offers legit? We checked.
Imposter accounts
Facebook allows public figures, such as the first lady, to verify their pages on the platform. These pages then carry the “blue tick” verification badge.
Ruto’s official Facebook page, Mama Rachel Ruto, is verified and has over a million followers. We found no such offers on her page.
It is unlikely that the first lady would run adverts on these less popular and unverified Facebook accounts and not feature them on her verified Facebook page.
The accounts request users to reach out privately for further engagement. But these might be attempts to scam them.
The Facebook accounts are fake and their offers are a scam.
For more help in identifying fraudsters on social media, read our guide to Facebook scams and how to spot them.
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