Attention: During the week starting 13th of November 2023, many people in Tanzania received WhatsApp messages from a foreign number. The person identified to be a representative of an agency from Tanzania.

Our agency, Tanzlite Digital was among the brand names these automated messages used. Some of the messages read:

My name is Ayanna, I am a Senior Representative Officer at Tanzlite Digital Marketing agency . Our company is recruiting part-time/full-time online employees, Our job is very simple, May I take a few minutes of your time? I would like to share a job offer for you.

FAKE!

And another similar message came from Vinza Masana

First of all, this is a PURE Scam. Just look at it yourself. It’s bullshit.

Our response to this fraud

Let us reiterate what we posted on all of our social media channels:

First: There are no titles or hierarchical structures at Tanzlite Digital. If you receive a message that sounds corporatey, like some senior somebody from us —that’s NOT us. We don’t have Vinza Masana, Ayanna, or any representative with a foreign number.

Second: Tanzlite doesn’t reach out to anyone. People reach out to us.

Third: We single out talent from LinkedIn only. Not in your WhatsApp app.

Fourth: There’s no one in a foreign country with a foreign number representing us.

And lastly: You’re too smart to be scammed by this automated WhatsApp message. It’s the AI version of “Ile hela tuma kwenye namba hii.”

What should you do when you receive such a scam message?

Block and report that number to WhatsApp IMMEDIATELY. Don’t even waste time to reply because it is probably not a human on the other side. Just automated messages reaching you by guessing random numbers. They will probably come with a different name and company but, you have been warned.