IN SHORT: Kenya’s popular Fuliza overdraft service allows M-Pesa mobile money users to complete a transaction of up to KSh70,000 even if they don’t have enough funds in their accounts. But beware of scammers promising to boost your limit at a fee.
The Facebook account Fuliza Increase claims it can boost the borrowing limit on Kenya’s popular Fuliza overdraft service.
The overdraft service is run by Safaricom, Kenya’s largest telecoms company, in partnership with two of the country’s largest banks. The service allows M-Pesa mobile money users to complete a transaction even if they don’t have enough funds in their accounts.
One of the account’s posts, dated 28 October 2023, reads: “JE KIWANGO CHAKO CHA FULIZA NI 0.00, 300,500 au 900 NA UNGEPENDA KUPANDISHA HADI KIWANGO CHA 75,000. TUMA UJUMBE HAPA.”
This mix of English and Kiswahili translates to: “Is your Fuliza limit KSh0.00, KSh300, KSh500 or KSh900 and you would like to increase it to KSh75,000? Send me a message here.”
The account has posted the offers on Facebook groups on different dates here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
Facebook has flagged the posts as potentially false. But are they? We checked.
Maximum Fuliza loan limit set at KSh70,000
The minimum a customer can send using the Fuliza service is KSh1 and the maximum is KSh70,000, the company has said. So the promise of raising the limit to KSh75,000 is a big red flag.
According to the company: “M-Pesa customers registered using their national identity cards can activate Fuliza but not all are eligible for a loan limit upon activation.”
For instance, it said those on its network for less than six months would have a “zero limit” and the limit allocation would later be “based on their line’s activity”. So it’s misleading for the Facebook account to claim it can increase the limit.
The account asks users to reach out privately for further engagement but this is likely an attempt to scam them. The company has advised its customers who want a higher loan limit to transact frequently using the M-Pesa mobile financial service and repay all their loans on time.
The Facebook account’s offers are scams.
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