•But some scammers have found their way to the digital space and are conning unsuspecting individuals of their hard-earned money.
•The scammers are so convincing and smooth with their dealings that you will not suspect them until when it's already too late and your money is gone.
Image: FILE
Modern digital marketing has proved to be a cost-effective and the best way to reach a wider audience, and so most business people have since embraced it.
With only your smartphone and an internet connection, businesses have moved to the digital space and are using social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to market their good and services.
But some scammers have found their way to the digital space and are conning unsuspecting individuals of their hard-earned money.
The scammers are so convincing and smooth with their dealings that you will not suspect them until when it's already too late and your money is gone.
Muthoni was glad that she was finally getting the shoe design that she had always wanted after she saw an online dealer advertising it on Facebook.
"It cost Sh2,000 and was glad I landed on that page as the shoe was costly in other shops," Muthoni said.
She opted to purchase the shoes from an online retailer, who directed her to pay and pick them up at Yaya Centre, Nairobi.
According to Muthoni, the seller had just one condition. "He insisted that I pay the full amount if I wanted that pair to be reserved. I was told I was at liberty to return the shoe if it doesn't fit."
She did not have a problem paying as she really wanted to get that pair. They planned a day and time for the meeting.
"I called the seller and he confirmed our meeting, but when I reached Yaya Centre, I called his number but his phone was switched off. I waited for a couple of minutes but still, his phone was switched off," she said.
That is when it clicked she has been conned and her Sh2,000 had gone down the drain.
"I felt like crying. My money was gone just like that," she said, adding that she will never purchase anything online.
"The page was not available when I went back to check," she added.
Sam, on the other hand, was advertising his phone on a popular adverting website and an interested buyer reached out to him.
They agreed to meet so that the buyer can analyze the phone and purchase it.
They agreed to meet in a hotel in Nairobi County. And when the buyer arrived at the hotel, he offered to buy drinks for both of them as they continued with negotiations.
The buyer requested Sam to hand him the phone so that he can have a closer look at it.
"After handing over the phone, my judgement was impaired. I remember him telling me that he was going to ask the soldier for the wifi password and that's how he disappeared," Sam said.
It took him approximately 30 minutes to realize the guy was gone. Fortunately, he had Sh100 on him which he used as fare to go to his friend's house.
Winnie Njeri was also a victim of online fraud last year, 2021.
She wanted to buy herself two pairs of shoes she had spotted on an Instagram page for her birthday
She had wanted to buy three pairs of shoes but later settled on just two.
The seller told her to make the payment first, which she did.
"I did not sense anything fishy because the seller was so nice and the communication was smooth," she said.
She was told which shop to collect the shoes from and decided she will pick them up the next day.
"When I went to pick up the shoes the following day, I found that the shop that I was directed to does not exist. When I asked a security guard at that building he told me I was the 10th victim who had been sent there," she said.
And when Winnie tried to contact the seller she realized she had been blocked.
"I reported that page and promised to always be careful when dealing with online business people and to always do thorough research before purchasing anything," she narrated.
Online jobs
James Mwangi, another victim, warned Kenyans to be careful when dealing with online businesses.
"The deal was too good to resist," he says.
It all started when he received a message on his phone inviting him to a financial meeting by the county government of Kiambu.
He called the sender to confirm the venue of the meeting that was scheduled for Saturday at 9 am.
"The speakers were dressed in elegant suits and were looking sharp. The room was packed to capacity and I noticed that all the attendees were of different age groups," he said.
He said they started their presentations by promising them that they will be the next millionaires in town in no time.
"One of the speakers told us that there is no fee required for the newbies. But they said you need a sponsor's link to be able to access the platform," one of the speakers said.
According to James, in order to qualify as an active member, you had to buy a package. Being a member confers the right to share a personal link to recommend others.
"They went ahead to share with us the benefits, bonuses and incentives that an active member is entitled to. After the presentations, we were divided into groups and in each group, there was a facilitator who propagated the process of convincing and giving testimonials," James said.
At this point, James was eager to start the membership recruitment drive and earn his income from it.
"I was shown how to log into the platform and paid Sh2,000. We kept in touch with this guy who was like my coach, in this case, the one with who I opened an account under his link. His name is Evans," he said.
According to him, Evans persuaded him day by day to add on the amount so that he could upgrade his account and make more money.
"Later on, as I was doing my research, I saw an investigative piece done by BBC Africa about the same company. It was a pyramid scheme and had been banned from countries like Paraguay, New Zealand, Vietnam, Mauritius, Burundi."
But when he approached Evans to have him refund his money, he was told that the money was non-refundable. By now, he had spent Sh5,000.
Irene Wacuka's case is not really different from James's story.
She was referred by a friend to an online job. The friend showed her how much she was earning which was more convincing. She gave in to the idea.
"One had to part with a Sh1,000 as the registration fee, which I paid immediately," she said.
The business was about grabbing and matching orders of the products sold and the more you grab and submit, the more commission you would get.
"Well I was earning and I also started referring my friends because with every referral you would get more money," Irene said.
According to Irene, the company was also advertised on some national television stations. But barely a month after that, the company collapsed.
"When I checked on Twitter, the same company was trending for all the wrong reasons. Many people had been scammed," she said.
Despite these cases, there are people who conduct genuine online businesses.
Others have now found new ways to scam people by duplicating other people's business names.
They promise to deliver the goods and services advertised but still fail to honour their promise or sell substandard goods.
How to avoid being scammed online
Be careful when shopping online- Beware of offers that seem too good to be true, and always use an online shopping service that you know and trust.
Be alert to the fact that scams exist- When dealing with uninvited contacts from people or businesses, whether it's over the phone, by mail, email, in person or on a social networking site, always consider the possibility that the approach may be a scam.
Know who you're dealing with. If you've only ever met someone online or are unsure of the legitimacy of a business, take some time to do a bit more research.
Do a Google image search on photos or search the internet for others who may have had delt with them.