The government has issued a strong warning to Kenyans after reports emerged of scammers using fake M-Pesa messages to trick youth applying for the NYOTA Youth Empowerment Programme.
According to a statement released by the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA) on Monday, October 27, the con artists are sending fraudulent messages claiming that recipients have received money from the NYOTA Project or NYOTA Foundation. The messages then instruct the victims to send money to unknown phone numbers.
MSEA clarified that no money has been disbursed through M-Pesa under the NYOTA programme, saying the messages are completely fake.
“We have received reports of fraudulent messages claiming that youth have received funds from the NYOTA Project or Foundation. Please note that NYOTA has not sent any M-Pesa-related payments,” the statement read.
The authority also asked Kenyans to be alert and avoid falling for such scams. It reminded the public that all official communication from the NYOTA programme comes only through the verified ‘NYOTA KE’ SMS sender ID and official social media pages.
Images of the fake messages, which have been circulating widely on WhatsApp and Facebook, show M-Pesa notifications indicating that recipients have received amounts ranging from Ksh100,000 to Ksh999 from “NYOTA FOUNDATION.” MSEA warned that such messages are meant to steal money or personal information from unsuspecting applicants.
“We urge members of the public to ignore, avoid sharing, and report any suspicious messages or activity,” MSEA added.
Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya had earlier announced that the validation process was meant to confirm the authenticity of applicants before final selection. He explained that only those who attended the physical verification would qualify for the next stage.
“The verification exercise ensures that only genuine and qualified youth are selected to benefit from the programme,” Oparanya said.
He also noted that the Entrepreneurship Aptitude Test (EAT) remains a mandatory step for all shortlisted participants, who will later move on to training and business start-up phases.
The NYOTA Youth Empowerment Programme, supported by the World Bank, aims to create jobs, support young entrepreneurs, and boost innovation among Kenyan youth.
