Network short code Services
DISCLAIMER: These are REAL incidents that have happened to people. We choose to place you as the main character so as to show you how easy it is to fall prey to such circumstances. Remember ROLES CHANGE, SKILLS EVOLVE but SCRIPT remains the SAME. So IGNORANCE of the probability of such occurrences ever happening to you is entirely at your own DISCRETION!!!
SCENARIO
You have just been receiving a constant flood of SMSes from an unknown number stating that you have won a certain amount of money in an on-going competition that you did NOT participate in. However, you have been tactically ignoring them but upon the entry of the 15th SMS bearing the same content as the previous ones, you decide to try your luck at convincing the sender that you may perhaps be the right recipient of the sh500,000 winnings.
The Contents of the SMS state something like:
CONGRATULATIONS!!! WE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR NUMBER HAS WON shs500,000 IN OUR ON-GOING [insert name of company here] COMPETITION. PLEASE CALL THE NUMBER 0712 345 678 IN ORDER TO CLAIM YOUR CASH PRICE.
You jot down the number, key it in then hit the send button and nervously wait. It is ringing on the other end………….
‘’Hallo?’’ a male voice responds at the opposite end.
‘’Hallo’’, you reply all the while trying to maintain composure in-order to seem legit.
‘’Yes?’’ the male voice replies.
‘’I have received an SMS stating that I have won shs500,000 and I have been told to call this number in-order to claim it’’ you reply innocently.
‘’What are your official names Madam,’’ the male voice asks
‘’[Insert your name here]’’, you reply
‘’ID number?’’ he again asks
‘’[insert your ID number here] you reply
‘’Ok, it is indeed true that you have won shs.500, 000 in our on-going promotions and we are glad to inform you of that.’’ He says in a soft official tone.
‘’So how can I receive it???’’ you ask amidst bouts of joy, ‘’is it possible to send it via M-PESA?’’ you continue
‘’Well……… that is the problem,’’ he says, ‘’As you can see, shs500,000 is such a large amount of money to send via M-PESA but we do have a system in place that only needs your activation and the transfer of your winnings will be in your M-PESA account.’’ He adds.
Your judgement totally clouded by greed, you ask, ‘’how can I activate it then??’’
‘’Well, it’s easy just top up a minimum airtime of shs500 and we will send you the configurations on how to activate it’’
‘’Ok, let me buy airtime’’, you say as you hang up
You dash to the nearest scratch card dealer, purchase the shs500 airtime and load. You re-dial the previous number and wait…… He picks up.
‘’Have you loaded the airtime??’’ he asks
‘’Yes,’’ you reply
‘’Fine, so am going to tell you the configurations and please key them in exactly as I tell you otherwise the transfer may not go through’’ he states
‘’Am listening…’’ you reply
‘’ok dial *…..1….4…0….*……5…..0…….0…..*0…..7….1…..2…..3…4….5….6….7….8….#’’ he dictates each unit individually.
‘’ok, I have done so,’’ you reply
‘’Good, now wait!’’ he answers as he hangs up
Immediately, an SMS comes through and upon opening it, you receive the shock of your life
The contents of the SMS states:
You have successfully transferred shs500 airtime to 0712 345 678
Realizing that you have been duped, you re-dial the same number only this time you get the dreaded voicemail ‘’Mteja wa nambari uliopiga hapatikani kwa sasa’’
