Kenya: No, Kenyan Actor Yasmeen Saiedi Not Running a Ksh35,000 Promotion On Facebook, Disregard Imposter Page

23 August 2023
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Dancan Bwire

IN SHORT: This Facebook page promises cash giveaways in the name of Kenyan actor Yasmeen Saiedi. But it is another imposter account trying to scam fans.

The Facebook page Princess Maria Wakitaa regularly posts promotions on different Facebook groups in Kenya.

The page uses the stage name of popular Kenyan actor Yasmeen Saiedi, who was the main character on Kenyan Citizen TV show Maria. It also features her photos.

"Chagua kitu Moja unataka kwa Sahii: PESA, Fees, Rent. Kisha uangalie inbox yako in 2 minutes," reads one of its posts on a Facebook group.

This mix of English and Kiswahili translates to: "Choose one thing that you need now between money, school fees and rent and check your inbox in two minutes."

The page's posts have attracted likes and comments on different Facebook groups here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

But is the Facebook page run by the actor and are its offers legit? We checked.

Fake Facebook page

We checked Saiedi's verified Instagram account, which has over 774,000 followers, and found no offers like the ones on Facebook.

It's unlikely that the actor would run the promotions on a less popular Facebook page and not on her Instagram account with a huge following.

It is suspicious that the Facebook page's main activity is to run these promotions on various groups. Most celebrities in Kenya use their pages to interact with their fans, post their photos and the products they are endorsing.

The account asks those who comment to reach out privately via the WhatsApp number provided to claim their rewards. We did so and were asked to pay an "unlocking fee" of KSh599 or KSh799 depending on the amount we wanted to be awarded. This is a classic example of a scam where the user sends the "unlocking fee" but never receives the promised reward.

The page and its offers are fraudulent.

Africa Check has debunked similar Facebook accounts here and here.

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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