“ATTENTION KENYANS!! Have you received your *KES 4,100* from the *GoK Funds*. I have already withdrawn mine and you can also get yours by visiting the official distribution site,” reads a message circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook.
GoK is short for “government of Kenya”.
The message links to a web page where people can supposedly apply for the money.
But is the offer genuine? We checked.
Engagement bait
Text at the top of the web page reads: “Congratulations. You have been selected to benefit from the support provided by the GOK of funds worth KES 4,100.” This is even if a visitor hasn’t submitted any personal details.
The page asks visitors to answer a set of questions in order to get their reward “immediately”. They are required to indicate their business type.
Clicking any of the options generates other queries like marital status and the preferred method of payment.
Eventually, the site returns a message: “After considering your answers, set the subsidy amount to KES 4,100 and complete the steps to obtain the withdrawal code from the electronic counter.”
But below is another condition: “You may get the subsidy with only one step, please click the ‘Invite Friends/Group’ button to share the subsidy information with 5 groups or 15 friends on WhatsApp.”
The call to share with friends is a sign that this is an engagement bait scam. These scams ask people to interact by liking, commenting or sharing. The more people interact with a post, the greater its reach.
The Kenyan government has not announced any such offer. The message is just a different version of a scam using the name of the World Health Organization, which Africa Check has already debunked. Read our guide on how to avoid similar scams.
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