CHECK BEFORE YOU SEND MONEY

Is this legit?

Search a fund manager, unit trust or fund (like a money market fund) to see if the Capital Markets Authority has licensed or approved it, and whether members have reported it.

Covers fund managers, unit trusts (collective investment schemes) and their funds, from CMA's lists. Banks, Saccos, lenders and insurers are not covered yet.

🚩 Red-flag check

Tick everything that applies to the offer you're looking at.

Promises a fixed, guaranteed high return (for example "10% a month" or "double your money") Pays early members with money from new members, or rewards you mainly for recruiting others Asks you to send money to a personal M-Pesa number, Till or Paybill not in the company's own name Pushes you to decide quickly: "only today", "limited slots", "don't tell anyone" Cannot show a licence, or the name is not on the regulator's list Contacted you first on WhatsApp, Telegram or social media, often through a friend or group admin Is vague about what the money is invested in, or says it is "forex", "crypto" or "trading bots" with no detail Makes it hard to withdraw, or asks for a "fee" or "tax" before you can get your money

No red flags ticked yet.

Check the official register

Fund managers, unit trusts and their funds are licensed and approved by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA). Its website lists every licensee and publishes warnings about unlicensed schemes.

CMA · List of licenseesFund managers, investment banks and stockbrokers, and approved unit trust schemes and funds CMA · Capital Markets AuthorityInvestor alerts and warnings about unlicensed schemes

Not checking a fund? This page doesn't cover these yet, so go to the regulator: banks, microfinance and mobile lenders (CBK), Saccos (SASRA), insurers (IRA) and pension schemes (RBA).

Report a suspicious offer

Seen something that looks like a scam? Members can report it so we can warn others.