Spotting job scams

The rule that settles most cases

A real employer never asks you to pay to be considered. Not for "processing", not for "training", not for "medical", not for a uniform, not for a "refundable commitment fee". Recruitment agencies licensed in Kenya charge the employer, not the candidate. If money is requested before you have a signed contract and have started work, stop.

Common patterns

• The forwarded image. A poster with a logo, dozens of positions, generous pay and a WhatsApp number to call. Real recruitment notices come with an official website, an email on the organisation's own domain, and a formal application process.
• The instant offer. You "applied" and were "selected" without an interview, or after a five-minute phone chat. Then a fee is needed to release the appointment letter.
• The interview at an odd venue. A hotel room, a residential flat, a shared office with no company name on the door. Legitimate organisations interview at their premises or a recognised venue, and they tell you who will be on the panel.
• The overseas job with a visa fee. Opportunities abroad routed through an "agent" who needs a payment for visa processing or a medical. Check the agency against the official list of licensed recruitment agencies and the relevant embassy before engaging.
• The data harvest. "Register on our portal" sites that collect your ID number, KRA PIN and M-Pesa details with no vacancy behind them. Give identity documents only after an offer, to an organisation you have verified.
• The impersonation. Emails from a free webmail address claiming to be a known bank, NGO or parastatal. Check the sender's domain, then check the organisation's real website for the vacancy.

How to verify

1. Find the organisation's official website and look for the vacancy there.
2. Check that email addresses use the organisation's domain.
3. Search the organisation's name together with "scam" or "fake recruitment"; many bodies publish warnings.
4. Call the organisation's official switchboard (from their website, not from the message) and ask whether the position is real.
5. Ask yourself what the sender gains if you comply. If the answer is money or your documents, it is a scam.

If you have been targeted

Do not pay. Report the number or page to the platform and to the organisation being impersonated. If you have lost money, report to the police and to Safaricom for M-Pesa transactions. Tell your groups, with the details, so others are warned.

On KaziMatch

Every listing on the KaziMatch board is either posted by an employer who created an account or added by staff, and every listing carries a report button. If something looks wrong, report it; staff review every report. The apply-ready checklist on each application also flags postings that ask for money or bank details.