Fraudsters increasingly use text messages and phone calls to deceive customers into sharing information or sending money.
These scams often rely on fear, curiosity, urgency or attractive offers to persuade people to act before they have had time to verify the message.
Safaricom highlights several tactics that fraudsters use to catch customers off guard, each taking a different approach to making the scam appear convincing.
From threatening messages to seemingly genuine opportunities, the approach may differ, but the goal remains the same: to trick the customer into taking action.
Here are five common tactics to look out for.
Extortion Messages
Fraudsters may send deceptive messages designed to defraud customers through threats or intimidation.
They may claim to have damaging, private, or sensitive information about the recipient and demand money in exchange for keeping it confidential or preventing an alleged consequence.
The threats are designed to create fear and pressure the recipient into responding or making a payment without first verifying whether the claims are genuine.
What to watch out for: Unsolicited threats, demands for money, and claims involving sensitive personal information should be treated with caution.
Avoid engaging with the sender or making payments based solely on such threats.
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Curiosity Texts
Curiosity texts are designed to exploit a recipient’s interest in their personal life. The message may use clickbait or suggest that the sender has access to information about the recipient.
Fraudsters may then claim that they can reveal the information if the recipient pays a fee.
The objective is to use curiosity to encourage the customer to engage with the scammer and eventually send money.
What to watch out for: Be cautious of unexpected messages promising secret or personal information in exchange for payment, particularly when the sender provides little or no verifiable detail.
False Emergencies
False-emergency scams rely on urgency and emotion. The message is usually framed with content that sells a fake emergency story.
Often, the request will require you to respond immediately or urgently require you to send money to a certain number.
Keeping in mind that emergencies naturally encourage people to act quickly, the scammer uses urgency to prevent the recipient from taking time to verify the situation.
The request may appear to involve someone in distress or an urgent financial need.
What to watch out for: A message demanding immediate action or payment should be independently verified before any money is sent.
Where possible, contact the person supposedly involved using a trusted number rather than replying to the message.
Fake Job Opportunities
Fake job opportunities are scams in which fraudsters send text messages or make phone calls offering employment that does not actually exist.
Given the high unemployment rate, the opportunity may appear attractive, particularly when it promises quick employment or easy income.
The fraudster then requires the prospective applicant to pay a fee, often presenting it as a requirement connected to the recruitment or employment process.
What to watch out for: Be wary of job offers that require you to pay money upfront. Verify the employer and the job opportunity through legitimate, independently obtained contact details before providing personal information or making any payment.
Fake International Payments
In fake international-payment scams, fraudsters create the impression that a large international money transfer has been made or is awaiting clearance.
For example, a customer may receive a fake International Money Transfer (IMT) message or a fraudulent Western Union receipt claiming that money has been received for the clearance of containers or other high-value goods.
The fraudster may then call the customer to establish rapport and make the story appear legitimate.
Once trust has been created, the customer is persuaded to send money, often in connection with the supposed transaction.
What to watch out for: Do not rely on payment messages, receipts, or other documents supplied by the sender as proof that money has actually been received.
Verify the transaction independently through the relevant legitimate financial service before sending any money.
Stay Alert to the Warning Signs
Although these scams take different forms, they often rely on the same tactics: fear, curiosity, urgency, trust, and the promise of financial opportunity.
Fraudsters may also use convincing messages, documents, or phone conversations to make their stories appear legitimate.
The safest approach is to pause and verify before taking action. Never allow pressure, threats, or the promise of an attractive opportunity to override basic checks.
When a message involves an unexpected request for money, independently confirm the information using trusted channels before proceeding.
