How do I report an online scam in Kenya?
Call your bank or Safaricom (M-Pesa) first so they can try to stop the money, then report it at the nearest police station. You can also report it to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and report investment scams to the CMA.
Reporting matters even if the amount is small: it helps the bank, Safaricom, the platform and the police, and it can link your case to others by the same scammer. The DCI investigates cybercrime and online fraud.
Step by step
- Call your bank or Safaricom (M-Pesa) straight away. Report the payment as fraud and ask them to try to reverse it or stop the money in the account that received it.
- Keep everything: screenshots of the chats, the profile, the number, the M-Pesa or bank account details, the M-Pesa messages, proofs of payment and links.
- Report it at the nearest police station. Explain that it's online fraud, take your evidence, with dates and amounts, and write down the OB number.
- Give the OB number to your bank or Safaricom.
- You can also report it to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), which investigates cybercrime.
- If it was an investment scam, report it to the CMA. Report the profile on the platform where you chatted.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a lawyer to report it?
- No. Anyone can report a crime at a police station.
- I'm embarrassed to talk about it. Is it worth it?
- Yes. Scams fool people of every age and profession. Reporting helps stop the scammer.
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