UN warns Kenyans over spike in scams linked to staff relocation to Nairobi
UN Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of UNON, Zainab Bangura, said fraudsters are increasingly reaching out through social media platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.
The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) has warned of a sharp rise in fraud schemes using its name, as scammers target Kenyans with fake employment and contract opportunities.
Many of these scams are linked to expectations around the planned relocation of more UN staff to Nairobi.
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UN Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of UNON, Zainab Bangura, said fraudsters are increasingly reaching out through social media platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, as well as in person, to deceive unsuspecting victims. In most cases, they demand money in return for non-existent jobs or contracts.
Bangura described the situation as “a very challenging” issue for the organisation.
“I would like to alert the public that the UN is aware of fraudulent activities using the UN logo and the name of UNON to target people,” she said.
“These scams are being fueled by talk of the UN moving more operations to Nairobi, and they are mainly spread through verbal promises and social media, including WhatsApp and Telegram, falsely offering UN jobs or procurement deals.”
She added that some victims have even arrived at UNON headquarters in Gigiri with fake appointment letters, convinced they had secured positions or contracts. Investigations revealed that they had lost large sums of money to scammers.
“Because of the high unemployment rate, some individuals are taking advantage by saying: ‘Give me 5,000, 10,000, 20,000 shillings and I’ll make sure you get a UN job when operations move to Nairobi.’ This is a scam,” Bangura emphasised.
The UN chief stressed that all hiring and procurement is done exclusively on official UN platforms and never involves any payment.
“If somebody asks you for money to secure a UN contract or job, it is not possible,” she warned.
Peter Marshall, the UN’s Principal Security Adviser for Kenya and Eritrea with the Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS), confirmed that such fraud is growing rapidly.
“We’ve had about five or six cases in the past month alone. Almost every week we receive one or two new reports,” Marshall said, linking the rise in scams to the anticipated relocation of UN staff to Nairobi.
He noted that fraudsters are also targeting businesses, with one recent victim in Kiambu being tricked with a promise of a catering contract.
“If it involves paying money, it is a scam. The UN does not charge for recruitment or procurement - there is no cost at all,” he said.
UNON and UNDSS said they are working closely with Kenyan authorities, including the Diplomatic Police Unit and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), to trace and apprehend the perpetrators.
The UN urged Kenyans to remain cautious, confirm all job or contract offers through official UN websites, and report suspicious activity to the police or DCI.
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