• Fay Tall, a Kenyan clinic worker, had just landed in the US when she discovered that her Safaricom number had allegedly been hacked
• In a recorded phone conversation, a Safaricom employee alluded to someone renewing Fay’s number from Kenya and transferring some money to an Airtel line
• Fay was told to wait until 2027, then come back and report the case to the Kenyan police, then the agent who renewed the line would help with the investigation

Kenyan doctor Fay Tall, who recently immigrated to the United States, is stunned to learn that someone in Kenya recently replaced her line and stole KSh 141,000 from her.

Why couldn’t Fay access WhatsApp?

In conversation with TUKO.co.keFay said she had only landed in the US a few days ago and had tried in vain to access her WhatsApp to communicate.

“The only WhatsApp left was the one I had linked to the laptop. I have my SIM card, but I can’t access it and I had no network,” said Fay.

“My husband in Australia sent KSh50,000 in the morning after he received a message asking him to send money. He thought I was asking for money. They had logged me out and all my social media codes were sent to this line. How is it possible that someone can extend my line even though I am abroad,” Fay asked in a recorded call posted to Safaricom on her wall.

How did Fay lose KSh 141,000?

In the recorded conversation with a Safaricom employee, it was confirmed that the line was renewed and the money was transferred to an Airtel line. She originally had KSh 91,000 on her phone. Together with the additional KSh 50,000 that her husband transferred, it turned out that KSh 141,000 was lost.

“Guys, Safaricom helped. They said when I come back in 2027, I should go to the nearest police station and they would tell me the agent who helped change the lead for the investigation!” the clinic official said.

WhatsApp was not the only app affected, as the hacker even went so far as to hack Gmail.

“My email is also gone. When I try to reset the password, the code is sent to the 0705 number, which has obviously been replaced by the scammer. If someone could connect me directly to a Safaricom representative to block my line, I would be grateful!” she asked in an earlier post.

“So this is the number that logged me into my Google account on a Tecno Spark 10c and an unknown Android (0101053809). Can anyone help me find the registered owner?” she wondered.

“My line was successfully blocked but the scammer is still active on WhatsApp under the same line. Please do not send money. Help me report the account on WhatsApp so it can be blocked. 070565428,” said Fay.

“The money will not be refunded. Safaricom has not been helpful at all. They must be held accountable; they just said they would send a ticket to Airtel to block the number the scammer sent money to,” Fay said. TUKO.co.ke.

Reactions from netizens

Kip’s Nicholas:

“2027 huyo nyangau atakuwa mbali makes it impossible.”

Albert Tangui

“I tried to contact Safaricom customer service once and I am overseas and have the same case as you and it must be urgent. They kept telling me to go to the nearest Safaricom shop. In fact, I told the customer service representative and explained to her very clearly that I am in Europe but she shouted at me to go to the nearest Safaricom shop. I think the CEO of Safaricom should tell us that they have more branches overseas, in the US, Europe or anywhere else. We can go to them without any problem.”

Esther Kirong Chepkoech:

“Wow! What kind of service is this from the biggest company!”

Dominic Ngetich

“That’s the problem with making everything public. The hackers knew full well that you wouldn’t be anywhere near the Kenyan network and they definitely took advantage of that by replacing it.”

Dennis Mukhwana:

“Sad, we trust them with our transaction, but if something goes wrong, you’re on your own.”

Isaac Bii:

“Itabidii umerudi Kenya kwanza tushike hawa wakora.”

Peter Kwemoi:

“This is standard procedure: get a lawyer you know to take on the matter on your behalf. It has to start with a police report.”

Safaricom’s tips for app security

To protect yourself from hacker attacks, Safaricom offers some tips, such as dialing *106# to find out how many numbers are registered to your name.

To prevent your SIM card from being replaced without your consent, dial *100*100#. If someone tries to register a new line using your ID, you will receive an SMS from 707 asking you to confirm the registration of a new line.

Safaricom only calls from 0722000000.

“Safaricom staff will never ask you to share your MPESA PIN, SIM passwords or password. Do not share your personal information with third parties. Inform Safaricom of any scammers and suspicious brand links/websites/social media handles. Do not share personal information with third parties on such platforms,” ​​a section of the Safaricom website states.

“Always protect your personal information such as ID number, date of birth, full name, address, etc. Do not follow or enter any instructions from unknown callers. Safaricom customer service will never call you and then transfer you to the next agent for chargeback. Do not share other information such as your one-time passwords with anyone. Examples include ATM withdrawal code, authentication code for Safaricom app or other services,” another section says.

Kenyan claims scammers hacked Gmail and stole data from M-Pesa

In another story, a man from Kenya pointed out that after hackers break into Gmail accounts, they gain access to phone contacts and send out bulk screenshots or links under the guise of offering get-rich-quick schemes.

He recounted how a close friend’s Gmail account was taken over by scammers who sent him and others text messages sharing M-Pesa screenshots with information on how he could “earn KSh250,000”.

Cybersecurity expert Allan Lwala explained that scammers manipulate Kenyans’ emotions to trick them into falling for their schemes.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and editor at TUKO.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke