A Nairobi businessman has issued a 48-hour demand to Safaricom PLC seeking an immediate refund of Sh749,999 allegedly lost through a fraudulent scheme involving official customer care lines.
The businessman, Toni Maina Kimato, claims that on January 7, 2026, he received phone calls from individuals purporting to be officials from Safaricom and Absa Bank Kenya.
According to the demand letter, the calls allegedly originated from Safaricom’s official customer care number 0722 000000 and an Absa contact centre line. The callers informed him that his bank account was under hacking or compromise and offered to assist in securing the funds.
During the calls, a series of transactions were allegedly executed in rapid succession, leading to the depletion of his funds. He states that Sh499,999 was transferred from his Absa account to an individual identified as Anthony Kipkoech San, while a further Sh250,000 was charged from his Absa credit card via a Safaricom till number, bringing the total loss to Sh749,999.
The businessman argues that the use of official customer care lines raises serious concerns about possible internal compromise, negligent security systems, or employee misconduct. He maintains that Safaricom cannot distance itself from communications emanating from its official lines and the resulting financial loss.
In the notice, he demands that the telecommunications company admit liability, reimburse the full amount of Sh749,999, and disclose the names of any rogue employees and individuals linked to the operation of the till number in question.
He has warned that if the demands are not met within 48 hours, legal proceedings will be instituted against the company, with costs and damages to be borne by it.
