Safaricom Addresses Viral M-Shwari Heist Security Claims

In Short

Safaricom has told customers that keeping their money and personal information safe remains a priority after viral claims of an M-Shwari heist.

What Happened

Safaricom responded to a customer who asked whether funds were safe amid the online claims.

The company said, “Kindly be assured that the security of your funds is a priority to us. We continuously work to safeguard your funds and protect your information.”

Safaricom also urged customers to stay alert and avoid sharing personal security details. It specifically warned people not to share their personal identification numbers, or PINs, and one time passwords, or OTPs. PINs and OTPs are codes used to secure accounts and approve access or transactions.

“For your safety, please never share your PIN or OTP with anyone. Thank you for trusting Safaricom,” the company added.

Safaricom did not confirm that a heist had occurred. It also did not share details about the specific claims circulating online.

Why It Matters

M-Shwari is a savings and mobile loan service, and customer trust depends on reliable access and confidence that balances are accurate.

The reassurance comes after Safaricom previously confirmed system downtime affecting M-Shwari services, following customer complaints about account access and unexplained changes in displayed balances. In one example cited, a customer said their displayed M-Shwari balance changed from 2,736.75 to 936.75, a difference of Ksh1,800. The report noted the post did not establish the cause of the discrepancy or whether money had been lost.