The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has cautioned the public against engaging with its customer service account on X (formerly Twitter) after it was hacked by unknown individuals.
In a statement released on Friday, October 31, KRA said its official handle, @KRACare, had been compromised and renamed “@Standx_Officiel” by the hackers, who are believed to be targeting unsuspecting users.
“The official KRACare X account has been hacked and its handle changed to ‘StandsX’. Members of the public are strongly advised not to interact with, share personal information, or send money in response to any posts or messages from the account, as they are fraudulent,” the Authority said in its statement.
KRA confirmed that a joint team was already working with X’s management to recover and secure the account. “Official updates will be shared through verified KRA communication channels,” the statement added. “For now, you can reach us via Facebook or WhatsApp at 0711 099 999.”
A quick check on X showed that the hacked page, which has more than 339,000 followers, last posted on Thursday, October 30, before the breach.
The post at 10:42 a.m. urged Kenyans to uphold integrity and report any unethical tax practices through KRA’s whistleblower portal.
“Integrity is everyone’s responsibility. If you notice something unethical, use whistle.kra.go.ke to report it securely and confidentially. Together, we keep the system clean,” read the final legitimate post.
The KRACare account, created in 2014, has been a key customer service channel for Kenyans seeking assistance with KRA services. It is separate from KRA’s main corporate page, which has over 122,000 followers and remains unaffected.
KRA now joins a growing list of state agencies whose social media accounts have recently been hacked. Earlier this year, similar incidents targeted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), and the Business Registration Service (BRS).
The Authority urged Kenyans to remain alert and rely only on verified pages for official communication.
