Question 1

What is the "SIM Card and Mobile Data Fraud" scam in Mombasa?

Accepted Answer

Around Mombasa Moi Avenue, the Mackinnon Market area, and near the Mombasa train station on Haile Selassie Road, street vendors sell Safaricom and Airtel SIM cards pre-loaded with data bundles at prices well below official rates. The SIM either contains fake credit that disappears within hours, or it has been registered using stolen ID documents, leaving the buyer liable for fraudulent activity on that number. In some cases vendors load M-Pesa mobile money onto a SIM and remotely drain it after the sale, leaving the tourist with a worthless card. Kenya requires biometric registration for all SIMs, so unregistered cards purchased this way are also illegal. Buy SIM cards only from official Safaricom or Airtel retail shops or their licensed agent counters inside petrol stations and supermarkets. Bring your passport for mandatory biometric registration. Never buy a pre-registered SIM from a street vendor regardless of the price discount offered.

Question 2

What is the "Phishing SMS Posing as M-Pesa or Equity Bank" scam in Mombasa?

Accepted Answer

Visitors who use Kenyan SIM cards in Mombasa are targeted by SMS messages that mimic official M-Pesa or Equity Bank notifications, claiming a transfer has been sent that requires "confirmation" by clicking a link or calling a number. The link leads to a credential-harvesting site. Some variants involve a call from a person claiming to be a Safaricom agent who asks the victim to dial a USSD code that authorises a transfer from their mobile wallet. Never click links in unexpected SMS messages about mobile money. Safaricom and Equity Bank will never ask you to dial a code or visit a link to receive or confirm a transfer. Call the official helpline number on the back of your SIM card if in doubt.

Online Scams in Mombasa

SIM Card and Mobile Data Fraud

Phishing SMS Posing as M-Pesa or Equity Bank

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