Scam alert! UN children's agency Unicef not running promotions or offering loans on Facebook

IN SHORT: Unicef is dedicated to protecting disadvantaged children around the world. Ignore posts using its name to run promotions and offer loans in Facebook groups.

Posts in the Facebook groups UNICEF AFRICAN FAUNDATION FUND and UNICEF PROMOTION FOUNDATION are running cash promotions and claiming to offer loans to Kenyans.

The groups use the name of the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef). Unicef works with partners around the world to promote policies and expand access to services that protect children.

The posts found in these groups encourage users to send private messages on WhatsApp.

Perhaps in an attempt to attract more users, both groups post pictures of wads of cash and screenshots of bank notifications that appear to show payments received.

The promotions and loan offers have been posted on various dates here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of this report.)

But are they to be trusted? We checked.

Fake promotions and loans

The two Facebook groups claiming to offer loans to Kenyans were created in 2023, according to their "about" sections.

The official page of Unicef Kenya has been verified and was created on 20 December 2011.

We found no loan ads on the official Unicef Kenya page and the main Unicef Facebook page, which is also verified.

The two groups in question do not link to Unicef's website, a clear sign that they are run by fraudsters.

On 14 June 2024, Unicef Kenya warned the public through messages on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook to be wary of fake loan offers in the organisation's name.

Read our guide to avoid falling victim to Facebook scams.

Similar messages posted on the groups can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.