The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has issued a fraud alert after receiving reports of scammers sending messages to members of the public demanding payment of alleged traffic violation fines.
In a notice on Thursday, NTSA said the messages urge recipients to pay the supposed fines through a link shared in the SMS, with a stated deadline.
The Authority clarified that the website referenced in the fraudulent messages, ntsca.cc, is not affiliated with NTSA and advised Kenyans not to engage with the platform.
“We have received reports of fraudsters sending fake traffic fines SMS to the public. We urge the public to avoid clicking the link, refrain from replying to the message and not submit any payments,” NTSA said.
“Please be informed that the website mentioned in these messages *(ntsca.cc)* is not affiliated with or operated by NTSA. We are actively collaborating with relevant investigative agencies to address this issue.”
The public has been urged to take precautionary steps, including avoiding clicking the link, refraining from replying to the message and not submitting any payments.
NTSA advised anyone who may already have made a payment to contact their bank immediately to block or reverse the transaction.
Recipients were further advised to delete the SMS from their devices.
NTSA stated that its official SMS short names are NTSA and 22847_NTSA. It also reiterated that the agency’s only legitimate website is ntsa.go.ke.
For assistance or inquiries, NTSA encouraged members of the public to reach out through its official email address: [email protected].
The alert comes a week after the agency issued a warning on a fraudulent website used to con unsuspecting Kenyans seeking motor vehicle services.
On December 10, NTSA said the website claimed to offer motor vehicle copy of records and logbook searches, warning that it does not belong to the authority.
"Alert: Mverified website does not belong to NTSA. If you have been conned via this website, report the matter to the nearest police station," it said.
“Motor vehicle copy of records/ Search is applied for through http://serviceportal.ntsa.go.ke accessible via the eCitizen platform, fee is Sh550, payable via your account and the turnaround time is instant.”
The official copy of records required is a document that contains detailed information on the motor vehicle.
The details that are contained in the search records are chassis and engine number, details of the registered owner, make and model of the motor vehicle, and year of manufacture and date of registration.
The client is required to log in to your E-citizen account, select NTSA service portal (New), go to services, then click on motor vehicle copy of records, and enter the registration or chassis number, search then submit.
One is then required to select payment mode and click on complete, and go to application history and click on view to download motor vehicle copy of records.
After payment, the turnaround is immediate.
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