The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has warned members of the public against engaging with its @KRACare X account after the page was hacked by unknown people.
In a statement on Friday, October 31, the Authority announced that its X account had been hacked and its handle changed to “@Standx_Officiel” to scam unsuspecting Kenyans.
KRA warned members of the public, urging them to refrain from engaging with, sharing personal information, or sending money to any messages or posts shared on the said account.
"The official KRACare X (formerly Twitter) account has been hacked and its handle changed to “StandsX”. Members of the public are strongly warned not to engage with posts on the account as they are fraudulent," KRA warned.
Nonetheless, the Authority revealed that it had since launched urgent efforts jointly with the management of X to retrieve and secure the official account.
"Official updates will be shared through verified KRA communication channels. You can still reach us here on Facebook or via WhatsApp 0711099999," the Authority told Kenyans.
A spot check by Kenyans.co.ke showed that the hacked X account's username had been changed from KRACare to StandXs, with the last post on the page shared on Thursday, October 30.
In the post shared yesterday at 10.42 am, the revenue authority encouraged Kenyans to exercise ethical practices and report any suspicious tax activity through the KRA portal.
"Integrity is everyone’s responsibility. If you notice something unethical, use whistle.kra.go.ke to report it securely and confidentially. Together, we keep the system clean," the post read.
The account boasts over 339,000 followers, with the page created in February 2014, following over 3801 people. It was formed to offer customer care services to Kenyans using KRA services.
However, it is worth noting that the KRA Care's X account is explicitly different from the Authority's Corporate X page, which boasts 122,000 followers.
Meanwhile, KRA joins the list of Kenyan parastatals whose social media accounts have been hacked in recent months.
Other government institutions that have faced a similar challenge since the year began include the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) and the Business Registration Service (BRS).
