Each day scammers are advancing in their techniques to con Kenyans of their hard-earned money. Notably, a number of cons have targeted mobile money as a means to con gullible Kenyans.
As scammers advance, Kenyans have also adopted new techniques to beat them in their own game.
Some Kenyans have also captured these tricks in videos that have gone viral in recent days.
Here are some of the trends Kenyans are using to beat the scammers;
Stammering
This technique has been used to catch scammers who often call asking for money to be reserved after 'accidentally' it to the wrong number.
Using this trick, the targetted victim pretends to be a stammerer even as he /she takes the con artist around long conversations over the purported transactions.
The main goal of this trick is to irritate the scammers as they become impatient and give up mid-call.
In recent days a video of a man using this technique has gone viral on social media platforms even as a section of Kenyans question whether the technique is ethical.
Stammering is a speech disorder where one involuntarily repeats words and prolongs some of the sounds.
Pastor/ Preacher
Some Kenyans pretend to be pastors or preachers who even offer to pray for the scammers who at the time claim that the money was for a house or medical emergency.
This technique plays with the psychology of the scammers as people believe religious readers to be calm and hones
During the prayer, the targeted victims call for divine intervention for the con artists to be delivered from habits. Knowing that they have been caught red-handed, the scammers often end their call from their end.
Personalised Stories
On the other hand, other Kenyans targeted by con artists also personalise the stories shared by the con artists.
For instance, if a con artist calls to explain that they meant to send money to the school, one may pretend to be the owner of the school or a relative of the owner of the school as they assure the parent that the money will reflect on the child's fees.
Precautions to take
Always ensure that you verify messages sent on the phone before a reversal to ensure that they are sent by the authentic service provider.
Block the scammer's number and report it to the mobile money providers for further action.
In the event one is conned, they can reach out to the police agencies such as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
