Almost every Kenyan online shopper has a story — paid a 'shop' on Instagram, got blocked, lost the money. Scams work because buyers pay before verifying. Five minutes of checks removes almost all the risk.
Red flags
- Payment to a personal M-PESA number or name you can't verify — legit shops use a Till (buy goods) or PayBill business number.
- No prices shown — 'DM for price' accounts with no shop page.
- Stock photos only, no real location, no phone number.
- Brand-new account with huge discounts ('iPhone 15 at KSh 30,000').
- Pressure tactics — 'last piece, pay now or it's gone'.
Verify before you pay
- Look the business up on the Shops in Kenya directory — claimed listings show a verified badge after owner verification.
- Check the shop page for a physical location, county/town, opening hours and real products with prices.
- Google the business name + 'scam' and check reviews.
- Call or WhatsApp the listed number — real businesses answer.
- If it's a marketplace, pay through the platform, never directly to the seller.
Safe payment rules
- Till/PayBill business numbers — payments are traceable and reversible complaints can reach Safaricom.
- Small first order — test with KSh 500 before the KSh 20,000 purchase.
- Cash on delivery where offered — the gold standard for a first transaction.
- Keep the M-PESA message and order confirmation — that's your evidence.
If it goes wrong
Report to Safaricom (M-PESA reversal requests work within a short window for fraudulent Till transactions), report the account to the platform, and report to the DCI's online fraud desk or your nearest police station with the M-PESA messages. The faster you report, the better the odds.