Kenyans React after Man Shares Message Fraudsters Use to Con Millions from Victims
- According to the TransUnion Africa Fraud Report 2025, Kenyans lose about KSh 116,000 per month to fraud
- A Kenyan man sparked debate online after sharing a common message used by fraudsters to con millions of shillings from victims
- The majority shared their experience, having received a similar message with the sender identifying himself as William from TZ
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Wycliffe Musalia has over six years of experience in financial, business, technology, climate, and health reporting, providing deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends. He currently works as a business editor at TUKO.co.ke.
A Kenyan man has sparked debate online after sharing a common message scammers use to defraud millions of shillings from unsuspecting victims.
Source: UGC
This comes as reports indicate that Kenyans lose more than KSh 116,000 per month to scammers.
How do Kenyans lose money to fraud?
According to the TransUnion Africa Fraud Report 2025, the average amount that consumers lost to fraud globally stood at KSh 226,132.
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The majority of those who reported fraud said they lost money due to email, online, phone call or text messaging scams in the last year.
Text messaging fraud was the most common trick reported in the survey, with 39% of those interviewed saying they were tricked via SMSs.
Which text message is commonly used?
The message shared by the online user contained a name, number, and account details.
The fraudster sent a random message addressed to Madama Susan, sharing his number and identity as William Ali from TZ.
The scammer directed the targeted victim to withdraw KSh 6.8 million, clear six containers at the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and reach out for further information via the provided telephone number.
What Kenyans said about fraud SMS
The Facebook post caught the attention of many Kenyans, with the majority sharing their experiences and encounters with the spam text.
Mukosha Maurice said:
"So ni huyu William mmoja anatucheza Wakenya."
Daniel Tole shared:
"My grandmother thought she had become a millionaire."
Eunita Olivia wondered:
"So Dr William Ali from TZ is sending this message meant for madam Susan to everyone."
Source: Getty Images
Hannah Kariuki asked:
"Kwani hawa wezi hufikilia sote tunaitwa Susan....they don't know any other name?"
Gibs Adrian noted:
"Hii takataka ilikuwa inaingia my Airtel line then wanasema sorry I miss confused contact I'm from Tz, don't share this message to anyone I'll buy you a gift if you do so."
Julius Yego said:
"Madam Susan anafaa kuresign bana ametuzoea."
Sheryl Kim noted:
"We are praying for you Madam Susan Kipsalbei..."
Ndula Mundika Bunyala noted:
"Sasa wanasema 6 containers na wanapeana container number moja, anyway acha tukuombe uomoke kwa njia ingine."
Ndunge Caroline warned:
"Utagongewa na sio mayai... Ni pesa zako."
Kibet Enock argued:
"Kumbuka ni TZ, iyo 6.8 ni ksh. 156 hapa kwetu."
Why Kenyans are targeted by fraudsters
Kenyans lost millions of shillings invested in CBEX, an unlicensed digital asset trading platform, in April 2025.
TransUnion Africa senior director of fraud solutions, Amritha Reddy, said Kenya boasts a 133.7% growth rate in mobile phone usage, where consumers get in touch with family, friends, and colleagues.
Reddy explained that fraudsters take advantage of existing relations via mobile phones to scam Kenyans.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
