The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has warned Kenyans of a new scam targeting unsuspecting members of the public on WhatsApp.
Taking to social media on Monday, the service revealed that a slew of Kenyans were using the image of the Chief Conservator of Forests (CFF), Alex Lemarkoko, to extort Kenyans.
Reportedly, these scammers use WhatsApp accounts impersonating the CFF, complete with an image of him as the profile photo, and then go ahead and try to get money from them.
"The members of the public are warned to beware of scammers who are approaching individuals on WhatsApp with their numbers showing a profile photo of the CCF Kenya, Mr Alex Lemarkoko. They then go ahead to extort monies from unsuspecting individuals," the statement read in part.
As such, KFS has urged members of the public not to fall for such scams and instead report any similar suspicious activity to its offices or to a police station.
It also reminded Kenyans that they are not required to pay for any KFS service or product elsewhere, except through the eCitizen platform.
"The public is warned to share any such suspicious communication with the nearest police station or KFS office for further investigation. Nobody should pay for any KFS service or product other than through the legally approved e-citizen platform."
A screenshot shared by KFS showed a similar attempted extortion scheme in which the culprit had texted someone with their profile photo displaying CFF Lemarkoko.
With scammers coming up with new ways to extort Kenyans daily, it is advisable to be on the lookout for suspicious messages, especially those seeking monetary payments.
Unsolicited messages offering jobs you did not apply for are the most common way in which Kenyans can be scammed through messaging apps.
To avoid being caught up in such circumstances, one should be wary of informal communications from employers, ensuring that the emails and phone numbers used are the official ones listed on the company website or on its official social media page.
Similar diligence should also be applied when applying for a job opening, which is another way in which Kenyans can be easily scammed.
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