IN SHORT: This Facebook account offers Kenyans on Facebook as much as KSh40,000 for responding to simple queries. But do not fall for the trick; these are scam offers.
The Facebook account Sk Macharia Macharia frequently posts promotions on Facebook groups and promises users as much as KSh40,000 (US$263) in prizes.
The account uses a name that resembles that of Kenyan media tycoon Samuel Kamau Macharia, popularly known as SK Macharia. Macharia owns Royal Media Services, a Kenyan media company with radio, TV and digital media outlets.
The account’s profile picture and cover photo feature Kenyan news anchors and married couple Rashid Abdalla and Lulu Hassan. They are journalists at Kenya's Citizen TV, part of Macharia’s company.
A typical post on the account, dated 11 October 2023, reads: “Taja county yako upate ksh 40,000 Ili uanzishe biashara nayo.”
This mix of English and Swahili translates as: “Name your county and win KSh40,000 for starting a business.”
The promotions appear here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
But are they legit? We checked.
It’s a scam
It is unlikely that Macharia would use his employees' photos as his cover photo and profile picture, as is the case with this account. This is the first sign the account is not to be trusted.
We also noted that while the account actively posts on Facebook groups, its own timeline does not feature any of the promotions. An account that posts frequently on Facebook groups but not on its own timeline is likely to have been created to scam users.
The account contacts those who comment on its posts and asks them to message a WhatsApp number for a reward. But there is a catch. When Africa Check texted the number, we were asked to deposit KSh486 “unlocking fee” before we could access the KSh35,000 “reward”. This is a clear sign of scam.
Previously, Citizen TV warned on Facebook that Macharia had no social media accounts.
The account and its offers are fake.
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