The Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK) has warned parents about a wave of fraudulent phone calls in which criminals pose as teachers and falsely claim children have been injured and rushed to hospital.
In a notice on June 12, COFEK stated that the callers typically tell parents their child was hurt while playing at school and requires urgent medical attention.
The fraudsters then pressure the parents to send money immediately to a phone number said to belong to a doctor handling the case.
“Fraudsters are targeting parents with a common trick: a caller claims to be a teacher, says your child was injured while playing and has been rushed to hospital, and pressures you to send money directly to the “doctor’s” phone number for urgent treatment,” read part of the statement.
COFEK Lists Warning Signs and Safety Tips for Parents
According to the federation, the ploy is designed to trigger panic and force quick decisions, leaving little room for verification.
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In many instances, the caller dismisses official hospital payment channels as too slow and insists on making a direct payment to a personal number.
COFEK cautioned that such demands are a key warning sign, noting that legitimate hospitals do not request emergency payments through individual phone numbers.
Other red flags include repeated emphasis on urgency and attempts to discourage parents from confirming the situation through the school.
Parents have been advised to remain calm and avoid acting on impulse if they receive such calls. COFEK recommends asking specific questions about the child, including their full name, class and teacher, as scammers often fail to give accurate details.
The organization also urged parents to independently verify any claims by contacting their child’s school or teacher through known, trusted communication channels.
COFEK further stressed that all hospital payments should be made through official, verifiable systems, warning that sending money to personal phone numbers exposes individuals to fraud.
The federation has called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to probe the matter, as concerns grow over the spread of such schemes targeting unsuspecting parents.
It urged the public to stay alert and share information about the tactic to prevent more families from falling victim.
Parents Share Experiences of Alarming Calls
Parents across the country have shared experiences after encountering the same type of distressing phone calls, pointing to a pattern in how the tactic is being carried out.
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One parent recounted how they nearly fell victim after receiving a convincing call from an unknown number.
“Iko hivi.. today I received a call from 0789 756 575. He pretended to be a teacher of the school I took my son (Grade 10). He said my son got injured while running and they were taking him to hospital. He even asked which hospital I preferred. Later he called again saying he was in Nkubu Consolata Hospital and told me to send money so my son could be taken to theatre. I called someone in Nkubu to confirm it was a lie,” the parent said.
Other parents who responded to the account said they had gone through similar ordeals. One parent said they were almost rushing to the hospital after receiving a similar call, only to later find their child safe and not injured.
Another noted that the experience mirrored what they had encountered, describing the calls as convincing and alarming.
A teacher also weighed in, saying the number of parents turning up at schools to confirm their children’s safety after receiving such calls has been increasing, describing the trend as worrying.
The teacher questioned how the callers can access personal details such as students’ names and parents’ contact information.
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