Kenyans, Beware of Facebook Accounts Impersonating National Police Service Spokesperson Resila Onyango

3 August 2023
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Tess Wandia

IN SHORT: There are many accounts on Facebook claiming to belong to the spokesperson for Kenya's police service. But Resila Onyango doesn't have a personal Facebook account and only communicates through official police channels.

Multiple Facebook accounts in the name of Kenya's National Police Service (NPS) spokesperson, Resila Atieno Onyango, claim to show the spokesperson's daily activities and whereabouts.

One account, Atieno Resila Onyango, posted a career update while others changed their cover photo and profile photo, details that would have people think the accounts belong to Onyango.

The accounts sometimes post information directly relating to NPS work, such as this post about increased crime surveillance and prevention during the Christmas holidays, and this post encouraging police officers sitting for the police law exam.

Imposters running fake Facebook accounts have in the past used the names of prominent Kenyans to post controversial statements or try to scam Facebook users.

Africa Check has exposed several such Facebook accounts and pages.

So are these accounts really run by NPS spokesperson Resila Atieno Onyango? We checked.

Oyango only communicates through the police's official channels

"We wish to caution the general public against interacting with the multiple fake accounts purporting to belong to the National Police Service Spokesperson, Dr. Resila Atieno Onyango, PhD, HSC," reads a post by the NPS on their official Facebook page.

The post cautioned the public that the NPS spokesperson did not have a personal social media account and only communicated her official duties through the NPS's official platforms.

According to the post, the following fake accounts go against Facebook community standards: Resila Onyango, Resila Otieno Onyango, Atieno Resila Onyango, Resila Onyango and Resila Onyango. They should be reported and ignored.

Read the original story, with links and other resources.
Africa Check is a non-partisan organisation which promotes accuracy in public debate and in the media. Twitter @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org

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