IN SHORT: Fraudsters looking to make money out of Facebook users often impersonate celebrities. In this case, they're using actor Mwanasha Johari's name - this Facebook page is not operated by him.

The Facebook page Mwanaaisha Johari Sultana promises instant cash rewards on various groups in Kenya.

The page uses Mwanasha Johari's name, a Kenyan actor who plays the main character in the TV drama series Sultana. The show airs on Citizen TV, one of the country's most-watched stations.

One of its posts, dated 8 June 2023, features a drawing of horses and asks users to identify how many of them can be seen. It promises them a reward of KSh65,000.

A different post in a separate group asks users to choose whether they want money for school fees, rent, business, shopping or bills. It also gives a phone number for further engagement.

The promotions have been posted in different groups here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

But is the page and the promotions legit? We checked.

Signs of a scam

Africa Check called the phone number listed and asked about the offer.

While the page uses Johari's name, the person who answered the call introduced himself as a different Kenyan actor, Sarah Hassan. This is a clear sign of a scam page, running fake promotions.

The person told us that we had won KSh45,000 and that we should deposit KSh599 as a registration fee. He said this was "necessary and a must" in order to receive our reward.

Asking for a fee is a clear sign that the Facebook page is being run by scammers.

It is unlikely that the actor would create a Facebook account for the main purpose of posting suspicious promotions on Facebook groups.

It is also unlikely that she would spell her first name wrong, as "Mwanaaisha" instead of Mwanasha.

We checked Johari's Instagram account, which has over 90,000 followers, and found no offers like the ones on the suspicious Facebook page. She has only posted her photos and the TV show in which she appears.

To avoid falling victim to online scams, read our guide to Facebook scams and how to spot them.