The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has warned Kenyans to be on the lookout for a false Instagram account claiming to be official. The account has been using the authority’s name and logo to deceive unsuspecting individuals.
In a notice released on Thursday, February 19, the authority warned people to be wary of an Instagram account called ntsa_kenya_, which is a false account. The account might be taking advantage of unsuspecting individuals, possibly to dupe them.
The account appears to be official at first glance. It uses NTSA’s official logo as its profile picture and posts road safety awareness messages similar to what NTSA posts on their official account. The account has attracted hundreds of followers, a fact that might deceive people because they might easily be misled by the slight difference in the account’s username.
The NTSA warned everyone to avoid disclosing their details to the account, such as their ID number, driver’s license details, passwords, or mobile money details.
“The authority only communicates through its official channels,” NTSA says. It is advising Kenyans to be extra careful with social media accounts claiming to belong to various government agencies.
NTSA says its Instagram and X account is @ntsa_kenya. The authority also communicates to the public through its website, www.ntsa.go.ke. It also communicates to the public through its email info@ntsa.go.ke. Moreover, the authority communicates to the public through customer care numbers 0709 932 000 and 0709 932 300. It is advising the public to report the suspicious account to NTSA or the nearest police station.
This comes just a few weeks after the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) alerted Kenyans of several social media accounts claiming to belong to the organization with the aim of scamming Kenyans.
In a notice dated January 31, KALRO says it is not associated with the accounts. It is advising Kenyans to only communicate with the verified accounts of the organization.
With the rise of online scams, government agencies are advising Kenyans to be careful with the accounts they communicate with.