The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has warned loan applicants of common schemes being run by cons.
In a notice on Monday, June 23, the board warned the applicants to be on the lookout for individuals and messages purporting to be from them.
"There are many con artists out there, and they do not sleep. If it walks like a duck, don't wait for it to quack. Report and block," the warning read.
As such, HELB urged Kenyans to report three instances of attempted fraudulent activities, including any individual asking for money to render any HELB services.
Next, it warned about anyone claiming to be an agent for HELB and, lastly, any suspect communication purporting to be from HELB.
HELB, therefore, urged the applicants to confirm all communications from its official channels to avoid being conned.
"Scammers are playing chess, but you can play 4D chess. If they ask for a ‘disbursement fee,’ block them like a boss. Only trust our official communication channels," HELB stated.
These communication channels include its official website, the HELB App, the USSD code *642#, Huduma Centre HELB desks across the country and its verified social media pages on X and Facebook.
This caution comes at a time when Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) students are actively applying for their HELB loans.
On June 18, HELB announced that it had opened its portal for one week, closing on June 24, to facilitate this application by KMTC students.
The reopening of the portal came a whole fiscal year after KMTC students were removed as beneficiaries of HELB during the 2023/2024 financial year as part of the government's austerity measures to fund the budget.
The National Treasury has since disbursed Ksh500 million for the 2024/2025 financial year to help needy KMTC students after renegotiations with key stakeholders.
