IN SHORT: Online scammers are hard at work impersonating another well-known Kenyan actor. Don’t fall for their tricks.
The Facebook account Matubia Jackie has been running promotions in a Facebook group in Kenya with more than 138,000 members.
The account uses the name and photo of popular Kenyan actor Jackie Matubia.
One of its posts, dated 18 April 2023, reads: “Taja nomino moja isiyo na wingi upate promotion ya 6000 sasa hivi. Mfano. Maji #opportunity2023.”
This can be loosely translated from Kiswahilli as: “Name one non-plural noun to get a promotion of 6,000 right now. An example: Water #opportunity2023.” This post had received 414 comments at time of publication.
The page responded to one of the comments on the post, writing: “… Have you ever received a promotion? We have received Your request, kindly let’s connect on Whatsapp via (+254105376577).”
Another post invites Kenyans to earn money through affiliate marketing, playing casino games, chess and draughts, and answering trivia quizzes.
But is this account, which has 4,800 followers, really run by Matubia? We checked.
Actor’s official Facebook page doesn’t feature promotions
Jackie Matubia’s official Facebook page is verified with the blue tick badge and has 1.4 million followers.
On this page, Matubia posts photos of herself, her endorsements, and the films in which she appears.
Her page does not mention any promotions promising money to Kenyans.
It is very unlikely that Matubia would have a Facebook account for the sole purpose of posting promotions and not post the same on her verified Facebook page, given her large following.
‘Activation fee’ hoax
We sent a message on WhatsApp to the number in the comments section and were asked for personal details, including our full name and current location.
The next message explained the various ways we could earn money, but said we would need to pay an activation fee of KSh450 and have an internet connection and a smartphone.
This asking for a fee is a clear sign that the Facebook account is being run by scammers.
To avoid falling victim to online scams, read our guide to Facebook scams and how to spot them.
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