Remittance Scams: How to Protect Yourself and Your Family

Scammers target diaspora communities because they know you send money home regularly. Understanding these scams protects both you and your family.

Common Scam Types

1. Family Emergency Scam

How it works:

1. Scammer contacts you claiming to be family
2. Claims emergency (accident, arrest, hospital)
3. Needs money immediately
4. Urges you not to tell anyone

Red flags:

• Unusual contact method
• Extreme urgency
• Secrecy requested
• Different voice/writing style
• Asks for unusual amount

Example:

> "This is your cousin James. I've been in an accident and need KES 50,000 for hospital bill immediately. Don't tell mom, she'll worry. Send to this M-Pesa number..."

2. Impersonation Scam

How it works:

1. Scammer gets information about your family
2. Creates fake profile or hacks account
3. Messages you pretending to be them
4. Requests money transfer

Red flags:

• New phone number or account
• Unusual request pattern
• Can't answer personal questions
• Urgency and pressure

3. Business/Investment Scam

How it works:

1. "Business opportunity" in Kenya
2. Promises high returns
3. Needs initial investment
4. Money disappears

Red flags:

• Guaranteed high returns
• Pressure to invest quickly
• Unclear business model
• Unknown person introducing

4. Romance Scam

How it works:

1. Online relationship developed
2. Trust built over weeks/months
3. Emergency arises
4. Needs money sent to Kenya

Red flags:

• Never met in person
• Excuses to avoid video calls
• Gradual money requests
• Emergency after emergency

5. Fake Transfer Service Scam

How it works:

1. Unknown site offers amazing rates
2. You send money to send to Kenya
3. Money never arrives
4. "Service" disappears

Red flags:

• Rates too good to be true
• Unknown/new company
• No regulation or licensing info
• Poor website/no reviews

6. Advance Fee Scam

How it works:

1. You've "won" lottery or inheritance
2. Need to pay fee to claim
3. After payment, nothing materializes
4. More fees requested

Red flags:

• You didn't enter anything
• Must pay to receive
• Requests secrecy
• Nigerian/foreign lottery claims

Protecting Yourself

Verification Steps

Before sending any unexpected money:

1. Call back on known number

- Not the number in the message

- Number you have saved

1. Ask verification questions

- "What did we discuss last week?"

- "What's mom's middle name?"

- Something only they would know

1. Check with other family

- "Have you heard from James?"

- Verify the emergency exists

1. Take your time

- Real emergencies can wait 30 minutes

- Urgency is a manipulation tactic

Red Flags Checklist

Be suspicious when:

• [ ] Request is unexpected
• [ ] Extreme urgency stressed
• [ ] Asked to keep secret
• [ ] Contact method unusual
• [ ] Amount is unusual
• [ ] Story keeps changing
• [ ] Pressure to act NOW

Security Practices

1. Keep contact info current

- Updated family phone numbers

- Multiple ways to reach people

1. Establish family code word

- Secret word for emergencies

- Only real family knows it

1. Verify new numbers

- Don't trust "I lost my phone"

- Verify through other channels

1. Use trusted services only

- Known providers (Wise, Remitly, etc.)

- Never unknown websites

Protecting Your Kenya Family

Educate Them About

1. Not sharing M-Pesa PINs
2. Phishing SMS messages
3. Fake customer service calls
4. Unknown callers asking about you

Common Kenya-Side Scams

SIM Swap:

• Scammer takes over phone number
• Receives M-Pesa transfers meant for family
• Very common in Kenya

Protection:

• Keep SIM locked
• Don't share personal info
• Register SIM properly
• Act immediately if service lost

Fake Safaricom Calls:

• Claims to be from Safaricom
• Asks for PIN or personal info
• Safaricom never asks for PINs

What To Do If Scammed

Immediate Actions

1. Contact your transfer provider

- Report immediately

- May be able to stop transfer

1. Contact your bank

- Report fraudulent transaction

- May be able to dispute

1. Report to authorities

- FTC (US): reportfraud.ftc.gov

- Action Fraud (UK): actionfraud.police.uk

- Local police

In Kenya

1. Report to Safaricom (for M-Pesa fraud)

- Call 100 (customer care)

- Report the number

1. Report to DCI

- Directorate of Criminal Investigations

- cybercrime.reporting@cid.go.ke

1. Police report

- May be needed for investigations

- Document everything

Recovery Chances

Honest truth:

• Money sent via M-Pesa is usually gone
• Recovery is difficult but not impossible
• Acting fast improves chances
• Prevention is the best protection

Real Scam Examples

Example 1: The Hospital Emergency

"Uncle called" saying nephew in hospital after accident. Needed KES 80,000 immediately. Turned out uncle's number was spoofed. Real nephew was fine. Money gone.

Lesson: Always verify through multiple channels.

Example 2: The Business Partner

"Investment opportunity" in Nairobi real estate. Sent $5,000 for down payment. Business partner disappeared. Property didn't exist.

Lesson: Never invest with people you haven't thoroughly vetted.

Example 3: The Stranded Traveler

"Sister" messaged on Facebook saying passport stolen in Mombasa, needed money for emergency travel. Account had been hacked. Real sister was home.

Lesson: Verify through phone call, not the same platform.

Building Family Defense

Family Protocol

Establish with your family:

1. Code word for real emergencies
2. Verification process before large requests
3. Trusted contacts for confirmation
4. Expected amounts for typical needs

Communication Security

1. WhatsApp verification

- Enable two-step verification

- Don't share codes

1. Social media privacy

- Limit public information

- Review tagged posts

1. Regular check-ins

- Know family's normal patterns

- Unusual patterns are red flags

Scam Scenario Quiz

Scenario: You receive a WhatsApp message from "Mom" with a new number saying she lost her phone and needs KES 30,000 urgently for hospital.

What do you do?

✗ Send the money immediately

✗ Send half the amount to be safe

✓ Call your mom's old number or another family member

✓ Ask a question only mom would know

✓ Wait and verify before sending anything

Conclusion

Protecting yourself from remittance scams:

1. Verify every unexpected request through multiple channels
2. Never act in panic - take time to confirm
3. Use trusted providers only - known services
4. Educate family about scams in Kenya
5. Report scams to help others

The few minutes spent verifying can save thousands of dollars and significant heartache.

Use only trusted providers like those on our comparison page.