Kenya: Exposing Imposter Facebook Account Offering Loans in the Name of Tala, a Popular Digital Lender in Kenya

12 December 2024
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Dancan Bwire

Exposing imposter Facebook account offering loans in the name of Tala, a popular digital lender in Kenya

IN SHORT: This Facebook account would have you believe it is run by Tala, a well-known digital lender in Kenya. But it is among many imposter accounts defrauding Kenyans.

The Facebook account Tala Ke Loanie masquerades as that of Tala, a popular digital lender operating in Kenya.

It uses the company's name and logo to offer Kenyans loans of up to KSh100,000 (about US$767).

The account claims the application process is easy and that loans are approved quickly.

It asks those interested to send a message on Facebook or call the phone number provided.

The account also posts screenshots of M-Pesa messages allegedly showing disbursements to various applicants.

M-Pesa is a mobile financial service by Safaricom, Kenya's largest telecoms company. It allows users to send and receive money on their mobile phones.

The adverts have been widely republished on Facebook groups with thousands of members.

Can the account and its offers be trusted? We checked.

Imposter account

Africa Check noted that the business was particularly new, having posted for the first time on Facebook on 26 November 2024 and having only 12 followers. But Tala was launched in Kenya in 2014. It's highly unlikely that such an established company would be so new to social media with so few followers.

Seemingly struggling with a low following, the account has invested heavily in republishing its posts on multiple Facebook groups with thousands of members. This is a common phenomenon with fake Facebook accounts and pages. Genuine businesses rely on paid advertising and compelling promotional content to grow.

We noted that the account relied on blurred screenshots of M-Pesa messages that appeared to show loan disbursements to applicants to convince others. Legitimate financial organisations invest in professionally designed images that feature their colours and logos for advertising.

The account asks applicants to pay an "activation" fee for each loan amount requested. This means that users must make an upfront payment in order to receive their loans. This is a clear red flag. Reputable lenders don't ask applicants to pay money before giving them a loan - many build their lending costs into the total amount.

Tala's official Facebook page is verified and can be accessed from the company's website, www.tala.co.ke. It has over 833,000 followers.

The Facebook account in question is fake and its offers are scams.

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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