The biggest threat to shopping online today is not a suspicious stranger trying to lure you to a fake website but a scammer hiding inside a trusted marketplace where you bought your last pair of shoes, clothes or last-minute birthday present.

This is according to a recently released TransUnion report which found that scammers have quietly embedded themselves inside legitimate online marketplaces, a shift that has caught many Kenyan buyers completely off guard.

The report highlighted that Kenyans reported a median loss of Ksh108,132 to digital fraud in the past year, the highest figure recorded across every African market in the study. This is equivalent to three months of salary for many households, a full school term fee, a laptop, smartphone or two months of rent.

And yet the number of transactions flagged as suspected fraud in Kenya sits at just 2.3%, comfortably below the global average of 3.8%. Nearly four in ten Kenyans who reported fraud losses said the money disappeared through a third-party seller operating on a legitimate e commerce platform. Not a suspicious link or an obvious scam. A real platform, a real looking seller, a real transaction that led to a very real loss.

Social engineering, phishing, vishing and smishing rounded out the top scamming methods.

Beyond e commerce fraud, the report found that criminals are reaching Kenyan buyers through fake calls, deceptive text messages and manipulative emails designed to create panic and force a quick decision. Others are going further, building entirely new accounts using stolen identities, ready to borrow, spend and vanish in someone else's name

Meet Wanjiku

Wanjiku had been saving for three months to buy a laptop for her daughter who was joining university. She found what looked like the perfect listing on a popular online marketplace. The reviews were good, the price was fair, and the seller responded quickly to her messages.

Then the seller asked her to complete the payment through a personal mobile money number, explaining that the platform's checkout was experiencing delays. It was a small detail. Easy to overlook in the excitement of finally finding the right product at the right price.

But Wanjiku paused. She remembered a message she had seen from her bank, Equity: confirm who you are sending money to before you send it. She looked at the request again. Something did not sit right.

She called Equity Bank's customer care line on 0763 000 000. The representative listened carefully, walked her through the red flags she had already sensed, and advised her not to proceed. The seller account was later flagged and removed from the platform.

Wanjiku's daughter later got her laptop. Bought safely, from a verified seller, through a protected checkout. The saving had been worth every shilling.

How to Protect Yourself

Equity Bank advises its customers to always complete payments through verified platform's official checkout and never through a personal mobile number unless you have independently verified the seller through official channels.

Before you pay, confirm that the name displayed on your Equity Mobile App matches the business you are transacting with. This single habit is one of the strongest shields available to you.

If a seller creates urgency or fear of missing out (FOMO), "only one left" or "offer expires tonight," treat it as a warning, not a reason to hurry.

Check when the seller account was created. A brand-new account with unusually glowing reviews deserves a second look.

If anything feels uncertain, stop. Call Equity Bank on 0763 000 000 before you proceed. Equity Bank will never ask for your PIN, OTP, or password.

If you receive any communication requesting this information by call, SMS, or message, do not respond.

Call Equity directly on 0763 000 000 to verify.

For more tips on secure banking, visit Secure Banking Tips at Equity Bank Kenya.

#KaaChonjo