06 · Stay safe
Haraka haraka haina baraka.
Hurry, hurry has no blessing — slow down before anyone asks for money.
Online work in Kenya is real and it pays — which is exactly why scammers copy it. Five rules keep you safe. They are not suggestions.
Never pay to join, “activate”, or “unlock tasks”.
Legitimate platforms never charge workers — anyone selling registration, training slots or “guaranteed approval” on WhatsApp or Telegram is scamming you.
Never buy or rent accounts, and never use VPNs or proxies to fake your location.
Platforms detect it, ban the account, and keep your unpaid earnings. Some Kenyan forums recommend proxies — that advice costs people their balance.
Diversify.
The Remotasks shutdown is the lesson: it closed in Kenya in 2024 with almost no notice. Three platforms plus one application to a Nairobi employer is the safe setup.
Keep records.
A simple Google Sheet of hours and earnings protects you in payment disputes — and helps with KRA if your income grows.
Guard your ID.
Upload identity documents only on the official platform website, never to an “agent”.
Account scams around AI tools
Also non-negotiable
- Never buy “shared premium accounts” for ChatGPT, Claude or any AI tool sold on WhatsApp, Telegram or marketplace sites. Sharing violates every provider's terms — accounts get banned without refund, and a stranger can read your chats.
- Never enter card or M-Pesa details on unofficial “upgrade” pages. Subscribe only inside the official app or website.
- The free tiers are official and genuinely free — anyone charging to “activate” them is scamming you.