WhatsApp Views , A Digital Deception

For many young Kenyans, the internet has become more than just a source of entertainment—it is a place of opportunity, a digital frontier where people hope to carve out livelihoods. With unemployment rates soaring, any promise of easy online income seems like a golden ticket. That’s exactly why scams like the WhatsApp Views Scam have flourished, preying on individuals desperate for financial stability.

At first glance, the idea seems almost too good to be true: post advertisements on your WhatsApp status, get paid per view, and withdraw your earnings instantly. The platforms promoting these jobs claim that users can earn up to KSh 5,000 daily simply by sharing content. But beneath this promise of effortless wealth lies a well-crafted pyramid scheme designed to exploit those who can least afford to lose money.

A Trap Disguised as Opportunity

The scam operates in a deceptively simple way. A user comes across a post on Facebook, TikTok, or a WhatsApp group advertising an opportunity to make money online. The catch? To start earning, they must pay a registration fee, usually between KSh 300 and KSh 1,000, via M-PESA.

Once they register, they receive “ads” to post on their WhatsApp status. Their supposed earnings increase with each view, and an in-app balance reflects the money they are "making." But when the user tries to withdraw, they are met with a frustrating obstacle: they must first recruit new members before accessing their funds.

This is where the deception deepens. The scam is not about WhatsApp views at all—it’s about recruiting new victims. Each new user brings in fresh registration fees, which keep the scheme alive. Eventually, as complaints pile up, the scammers shut down the platform and disappear with the money, only to rebrand and resurface under a different name.

Several platforms have been linked to these fraudulent activities, including ViewCash Kenya, WhatsApp Earners KE, and InstaProfit254. Each time one vanishes, another emerges, making it nearly impossible for authorities to track them.

Technology’s Role in the Scam

While scammers are the obvious culprits, the tools they use WhatsApp, M-PESA, and social media advertising have unknowingly aided their success.

WhatsApp: A Playground for Fraudsters

WhatsApp, owned by Meta (formerly Facebook), has become a prime hunting ground for scammers. Fraudulent job offers spread quickly through WhatsApp groups, and with end-to-end encryption, it’s difficult to monitor and regulate such messages.

Though WhatsApp has policies against scams, enforcement remains weak, allowing these schemes to thrive. To combat the issue, Meta must implement stricter AI moderation, enable better reporting tools, and suspend accounts linked to fraud.

M-PESA: A Tool for Digital Theft

The scam would be much harder to pull off without M-PESA, Kenya’s dominant mobile money platform. Fraudsters request payments via personal phone numbers and till numbers, making it difficult to trace transactions.

Safaricom, the company behind M-PESA, could do more to protect its users by monitoring suspicious transactions, blocking fraudulent till numbers, and offering faster transaction reversals for scam victims.

Stories of Deception and Loss

For those who fall for the scam, the consequences can be devastating. Many victims are students, unemployed graduates, and low-income earners hoping to make a little extra cash.

Eric, a university student in Nairobi, was excited when he came across a WhatsApp post promising KSh 100 per view. “It seemed like the perfect job—just post ads and get paid. I paid KSh 1,500 to register, thinking I’d make it back in a day,” he recalls.

For the first week, his "earnings" seemed to increase. But when he tried to withdraw, he was asked to recruit five more people first. That’s when he realized the whole thing was a scam. By the time he tried to contact support, the website had disappeared overnight.

For Mercy, a struggling single mother from Nakuru, the scam was even more painful. “I borrowed KSh 500 from my neighbor to register, thinking it was a quick way to buy food for my kids,” she says. After two weeks of posting ads, she was told she had earned KSh 12,000. But when she tried to withdraw, she was asked to pay an additional KSh 2,000 as a ‘withdrawal fee.’

That was the moment she knew she had been deceived. “I cried that day because I had nothing left. I felt foolish for believing in it,” she says.

These stories are not unique—thousands of Kenyans have fallen into the same trap.

The Need for Action

The continued rise of WhatsApp view scams highlights the urgent need for intervention from both the government and tech companies.

1. Safaricom Must Strengthen M-PESA Fraud Protection

- Safaricom should monitor till numbers linked to scams and block suspicious payments.

- M-PESA transaction reversals should be made easier for victims of fraud.

2. WhatsApp Must Crack Down on Scammers

- WhatsApp should improve scam detection and flag fraudulent job ads.

- Users should be able to report scams more easily.

3. The Government Must Strengthen Cybercrime Laws

- The Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) and the DCI Cybercrime Unit should track and list known scam websites.

-Stronger penalties should be imposed on digital fraudsters.

How to Identify and Avoid These Scams

If you ever come across a WhatsApp job offer, look out for these warning signs:

1. upfront payment is required: Legitimate jobs pay you, not the other way around.

2. Unrealistic earnings: No one pays KSh 100 per WhatsApp view.

3. Recruitment pressure: If you're forced to bring in others to earn, it’s a pyramid scheme.

4. No official company details: If a business has no physical address, website, or verifiable contacts, it’s likely a scam.

   
   

If you suspect a scam, report it immediately to:

📞 Safaricom (M-PESA fraud hotline 333)

📩 WhatsApp Help Center (to report scam messages)

🛑 Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) – Digital Fraud Unit

A Call to Action

The WhatsApp Views Scam is robbing hardworking Kenyans of their money, their hope, and their trust in digital opportunities. While individual awareness is crucial, real change must come from action by Safaricom, Meta, and the government.

Until then, Kenyans must remain vigilant. If an online job asks for money upfront, promises unrealistic earnings, or pressures you to recruit others, walk away.