The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has issued a warning about a growing number of deceptive SMS messages targeting Kenyan citizens, falsely alleging traffic violations and directing individuals to questionable payment portals.
On May 24, the authority verified that these messages are scams, emphasizing that NTSA never collects traffic penalties through unsolicited texts, SMS links, or any unverified third-party channels.
“We have received reports of fraudsters sending SMS messages to members of the public, encouraging them to purported traffic violation fines via a specific link,” stated NTSA.
Vehicle owners and drivers have been receiving these deceptive communications since mid-May, with some reportedly becoming victims of these fraudulent schemes.
The misleading messages originate from phone numbers such as 0141 583648 and +254 795 729 389, with the senders impersonating NTSA representatives and claiming to issue legitimate traffic violation notifications.
NTSA confirmed that various websites mentioned in these messages have no connection to or association with the authority and were specifically designed to mislead.
Similarly, shortened links contained within the communications have been identified as fraudulent and are believed to direct unwary users to phishing sites intended to steal confidential information.
Embedded within the phishing sites referenced in these messages is a counterfeit payment form requesting the cardholder’s name, card number, and CVV, details that no legitimate government website would ever request.
NTSA clarified regarding the shortened links that the authority has approved for public use, where for SMS, the short names for the transport body are NTSA and 22847_NTSA.
Moreover, its abbreviated website link is http://ntsa.go.ke, while its full link is https://www.ntsa.go.ke/.
Accordingly, NTSA advised the public to refrain from clicking links in suspicious messages, avoid responding to them, and promptly delete such SMS from their devices.
Individuals who may have transacted through any of the fraudulent platforms are urged to contact their bank immediately to block or reverse the payment to prevent further financial damage.
“Do not pay: Never make payments through the provided platform. If you have already done so, contact your bank immediately to block or reverse the transaction,” emphasized NTSA.
The authority indicates it is collaborating with appropriate investigative agencies to identify and apprehend those responsible for the fraudulent SMS campaign, with measures to hold the perpetrators accountable already in progress.