MPESA SHOP FRAUDSTERS & CONS AND HOW TO AVOID BEING CONNED

Mpesa shops have for a long time been considered a lucrative business and employment opportunity to many. Running an Mpesa Shop in a busy location is a dream come true for the Mpesa owners, however it comes with its disadvantages it being a risky business. With the deteriorating economy and the after effects of corona on the economy there have been lots of criminal activities including Mpesa shop robberies and conning. Most of the Mpesa related criminal activities are however avoidable.

HOW MPESA AGENTS LOSE MONEY TO CONS & FRAUDSTERS

1. The most common one is where the con will ask an Mpesa operator to assist him/her with his/her phone to make a call on someone urgently. Ones the con has the phone he checks on the frequent calls you have received or made. This may be to your husband, wife or even your boss (Mpesa owner if you are an employee). They will then save their (con) number under that name and leave the shop. Thereafter after leaving your shop the con will send a message impersonating the person they saved requesting you to send money to a certain number. You will innocently send thinking it’s your relative or your boss and before you realize the money is long gone.
2. The other trick they use is a very ambitious one. The con will frequent you Mpesa Shop with the motive of first mastering your Mpesa pin. They will therefore focus every time they are making a transaction and see which numbers you frequently press. Once they are sure they have the pin their next mission will be to get away with the Mpesa phone you use for the transactions. This happens when you operate an Mpesa shop on a very open place and with more than one business. For example having an Mpesa Shop in a retail shop. The con will then craft and getaway with the phone in a split of a second and once they have the phone and the pin the money is gone.

THIS IS HOW YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR MPESA BUSINESS FROM CONS

1. Build around a secure grill that separates you and the customer. Also have keep the phone and the money box out of reach and sight of the customers.
2. Avoid and never entertain chatty people at your Mpesa Shop.
3. Never entertain those callers that use landline numbers claiming to be Safaricom customer Service. Hung up on them immediately.
4. Never put your phone on the counter
5. Frequently change your Agent ID and the pin
6. Do not read out out names after transactions, always let the customers say their names or provide their IDs
7. Do not entertain transactions without I.Ds and make sure the I.Ds match the customer.