Kenya: Beware of Fake Facebook Loans Ads in Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika's Name

6 May 2024
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Grace Gichuhi

Kenyans -- beware of fake Facebook loans ads in Nakuru governor Susan Kihika's name

IN SHORT: Governor Susan Kihika is not offering loans to Kenyans on social media. Ignore fake accounts using her name.

The Facebook accounts Hon Susan Kihika Governor Of Nakuru County and HON SUSAN KIHIKA INUA JAMII LOANS offer loans to Kenyans.

These accounts use the name and photos of Nakuru county governor Susan Kihika. Nakuru county is 235 kilometres from Nairobi, Kenya's capital.

Their posts ask interested users to reach out via Facebook Messenger.

Some of their posts can be seen here and here. The posts have attracted significant engagement, including comments from interested candidates.

But do the Facebook accounts belong to the governor of Nakuru, and can their offers be trusted? We checked.

Signs of a scam

Some of these posts ask users to pay a security fee of varying amounts, depending on how much they want to borrow. This fee has to be paid upfront, with the added sweetener that it will be refunded once the loan is paid.

Asking for an advance payment is a clear sign of a scam. Scammers often pretend to be a popular person or organisation and offer loans at low-interest rates.

Applicants are also directed to a private chat. They are asked to provide their details and pay a fee to receive the loan.

The governor's official page is Susan Kihika. It is verified and has 451,000 followers. The page is regularly updated with her latest activities. We did not find any posts where the page announced or advertised any loan offers.

The Facebook accounts in question are a scam, as are the loans on offer.

Africa Check has exposed many such scams, including here, here and here.

For tips on how to spot these social media scams, see our guide.

Read the original story, with links and other resources.
Africa Check is a non-partisan organisation which promotes accuracy in public debate and in the media. Twitter @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org

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