The government has cautioned Kenyans against fraudulent websites and social media platforms claiming to offer access to the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Fund.
NYOTA said some online platforms were directing young people to fake websites while seeking their personal information under the guise of registering them for the second phase of the programme.
In a notice, NYOTA clarified that it does not operate an application website or mobile application through which beneficiaries receive funds.
“The NYOTA Project does not have an app or website for disbursing funds to beneficiaries. Beneficiaries receive payments directly to the phone numbers they used during application for the respective NYOTA interventions,” the notice stated.
How to apply
NYOTA said its official application channel is the *254# USSD service and warned beneficiaries that they do not need links to enrol in the programme.
The project urged Kenyans not to click on or share links claiming to facilitate NYOTA registration or payments.
“NYOTA Project does not use links to enrol beneficiaries into the project. Do not click on or share links claiming to register you for NYOTA or facilitate payments,” the notice added.
The warning follows the emergence of social media accounts directing users to websites purporting to facilitate registration for the second phase of NYOTA funding.
The platforms reportedly invite users to click on links to begin applications while displaying testimonials from people presented as beneficiaries who have received money through the programme.
Some users are then asked to submit personal information through the purported registration platforms.
NYOTA payment process
NYOTA reiterated that successful beneficiaries receive payments directly through the phone numbers they provided during their applications for the respective interventions.
The project said official information is communicated through SMS and its recognised communication channels and website.
NYOTA also urged members of the public to report suspicious pages, applications and messages claiming to represent the project to the relevant authorities.
The caution comes after President William Ruto launched the Phase II business support component in July, with more than 122,000 young entrepreneurs receiving a second tranche of KSh25,000.
The additional payment brought the total disbursement to KSh50,000 for each of the beneficiaries under the business support component.