IN SHORT: This Facebook page, which claims to be run by M-Kopa, would have you believe that you can get a range of products on credit and pay in small instalments. But beware, this is just another attempt to defraud users.
The Facebook page Mkopa Loan Smart Tv advertises various products and invites users to buy them on credit. It asks users to pay a deposit and settle the balance in instalments.
The page, which has over 21,000 followers, has displayed products such as motorbikes, audio systems, smartphones and TVs on its timeline.
Interested users are required to submit their identity card, Kenya Revenue Authority details and the name of a person who will act as a guarantor.
The page uses the name and logo of M-Kopa, an asset finance company operating in Kenya and four other African countries.
Some of its adverts have been posted here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
But is the page and its offers legit? We checked.
Imposter page
Although the page uses M-Kopa’s name and logo, it does not link to the company’s official website. It does not link to any website, which is suspicious for a page that claims to be run by such a reputable company.
The poor writing in the page’s ads is another sign that it’s a scam. A company like M-Kopa, which has been in business for over 10 years, would be expected to have a professional team running its social media accounts. This means it wouldn’t post ads with random capitalisation, misspellings and odd punctuation.
M-Kopa’s official Facebook page M-KOPA Kenya has over 289,000 followers and links to its website.
The company’s website lists its official phone numbers for Kenya as +254 799 136 761 and +254 707 333222. The number on the suspicious Facebook page – “0784751902” – is not among those listed.
All signs point to fake offers from a fake Facebook page that should be avoided.
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