HOW TO AVOID BEING SCAMMED

In Eldoret, 90% of scams are the same 5 tricks — especially M-Pesa and fake jobs. If you know them, you won't be caught. The 5 Rules That Save You *1. M-Pesa Rule: NEVER type your PIN because someone called you* - Safaricom will NEVER ask for your PIN, or tell you to reverse a transaction by going to M-Pesa menu. - Trick: "Nimetuma pesa by mistake, please reverse" — They send FAKE SMS that looks like M-Pesa. Check your REAL M-Pesa balance, not the SMS. - Trick: "You have won KSh 50k from Fuliza" — Fake call with a number like 0723... They say "go to M-Pesa, enter 1...". That's them stealing. *What to do:* End the call. Check balance yourself: *334#. If unsure, call 100. *2. Money Before Job = Scam* - "Pay KSh 1,500 registration fee for job at Kenya Airways / NGO / UN" — Legit jobs NEVER ask for money. - "Pay for KRA certificate first" — Scam. *What to do:* If they ask for money before you earn, block. *3. Cheap Things Online = Scam* - "iPhone 14 for 15k on Facebook, pay deposit 2k on M-Pesa" — They vanish after deposit. - Fake Truehost, Jumia, GOtv pages asking for paybill. *What to do:* Never pay before seeing product. Meet in public. Use Cash on Delivery. Check if page has blue verified tick. *4. Free Domain / Free Website Scam* Since you asked about free domains — this is where they scam learners: - "Get .co.ke free for life — just pay KSh 499 verification" — They take money, domain never comes. - "We built your site, pay KSh 5k to unlock" — They lock your work. *What to do:* Use only real sites: http://Truehost.co.ke, http://Hostinger.com, http://GitHub.io. If it asks for M-Pesa to personal number (07xxx), it's fake. Real companies use Paybill / Till. *5. Link Rule: Don't Click* - "Your M-Pesa is locked, click here to unlock: http://bit.ly/..." - "Check who viewed your WhatsApp: click..." *What to do:* Don't click. Delete. If bank / M-Pesa issue, go to app yourself, don't follow link. Quick Checklist Before You Pay Anyone Ask 3 questions: 1. Am I being rushed? ("Pay NOW or lose job") — Scammers rush you. 2. Are they asking for PIN / password / OTP code? — Stop. 3. Can I verify elsewhere? Search "company name + scam" on Google, or ask someone at cyber cafe / chief's office. Want me to check something for you right now? Send me the phone number, paybill, or website link that contacted you — I'll tell you if it's known scam or real. Also — never share your ID number + M-Pesa PIN + date of birth to same person.