In Kenya today, a silent crisis is growing rapidly, especially among the youth. This crisis is driven by the desire to make fast money with little or no effort. What started with betting apps like Aviator is now spreading into even more dangerous areas like online scams on Telegram.
Many young people, desperate to survive in a tough economy, are falling into traps disguised as easy online tasks. These scammers promise quick returns, making victims believe they have found a shortcut to success. But behind the scenes, these are carefully planned fraud schemes that only lead to loss and heartbreak.
Telegram has become a hotspot for these fraudsters. It’s easy to hide identities there and hard for victims to trace or report the people behind the scams. The pattern is always the same victims are contacted and told they can earn money by completing simple tasks like commenting on movies or sharing links. In the beginning, the scammers send small amounts of money like KSh100 or KSh300 to win the trust of their target.
The victims, often young people with no stable source of income, start to believe it’s real and that they’ve finally found a way to make money online. But then, the tasks start becoming more complex. The scammers create a system where each level or task requires the victim to pay some money in order to unlock the next level with the promise of bigger payouts. One victim shared how he was made to believe he would earn KSh80,000 after completing 19 tasks. He managed to complete 14, then was told to send KSh5,000 to continue. He used his school fees because he believed he would make back the money.
But after that, he was asked for even more KSh8,000 and later KSh50,000. That’s when it hit him that it was all a scam. By that time, he had already lost KSh13,000, money he could not recover. This new type of fraud is even more dangerous than betting because it is disguised as online work.
Victims are not just losing money they are losing their education, their peace of mind, and their trust in people. The scammers are using people’s real needs and dreams to destroy them. In a country where job opportunities are limited and many young people are struggling, this kind of fraud is spreading fast.
The big lesson here is clear. There is no such thing as free money. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The youth must understand that real success takes time, effort, and patience. As one victim said, “Wacha nitengeneze pesa polepole bila stress.” That is the message that needs to be heard loud and clear quick money may seem sweet, but it often comes at a painful cost.
We will continue to raise awareness to ensure our youths are safe and free from this exploitation, kindly follow our social media handles Facebook @leaked.co.ke, X @leakedke and be following up with our main blog for more information.
Add Comment