The immigration department on Thursday, May 6 warned of a new scam targeting tourists who were seeking to apply for a single entry Visa.
The department noted that a website (evisasKenya.com) was charging Ksh15,000 for visa application and claimed to be the official website of the department.
The official website for e-Visa services is evisa.go.ke
"The applicable fees for processing Single Entry Visa to enter Kenya for Business, Tourism, Medical or other reasons is Ksh5,100.
"To apply for e-Visa sign up for accounts at evisa.go.ke Fill in application form and pay, and download your evisa once approved," the immigration department stated.
The war against online scammers has been a contentious issue for the government as they have been trying to curb the menace that has become rampant within the country.
According to the 2020 Interpol report, Kenya lost over Ksh21 Billion to cybercrimes and online scammers in 2017. Further, over 250 Kenyans were arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) for allegedly being part of cyber gangs in 2019.
This situation caught the attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) which warned of the rising cybercrime rate within the country.
The FBI noted that gangs operated through wired transfers and gained access to individuals' personal information.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had previously urged Kenyans to report cybercrime related cases to various police stations or contact hotlines provided.
In 2020, Communications Authority of Kenya noted that the fraudsters had seized the chance to craft official messages purporting to come from the government.
Other than being shared via text messaging, the scam was also carried out through deceiving links on social media which, when clicked on, aided in the theft of personal information.
