One of the most common fraudulent activities by Mpesa agents is Split Deposit.
While it doesn’t affect the person depositing the money, the agent ends up with more commission.
What is Split Deposit?
Split Deposit is where an Mpesa agent deposits smaller amounts of money into a customer’s Mpesa account multiple times over the course of a day or week, as opposed to depositing one large amount at once.
The aim is to increase the Mpesa agent’s commission.
Some customers also request this when withdrawing funds to avoid the fees associated with the Mpesa transactions.
Safaricom is against this practice. The company states that if a deposit or withdrawal can be done in one transaction, then the Mpesa agent should avoid multiple transactions.
What Are The Penalties For Split Deposit?
Split depositing comes with hefty penalties, including:
The account can be suspended. According to Safaricom terms and conditions, your Mpesa number or Mpesa agent line can be suspended if they prove that it’s used for fraudulent activities. For example, a Split Deposit offense, can lead to penalties like:
- Clawback of commission earned through split depositing
- Suspension of your account and outlet for one or three months
- Termination of the Mpesa agent’s contract
- Blacklisting of Mpesa agent
- Criminal prosecution if clawback of commissions is not possible: An Mpesa agent risks jail time. Split deposit is outlawed by Safaricom. So partaking in it is a criminal offense. Safaricom can sue you and if found guilty, you could serve the sentence.
How Does Safaricom Detect Split Depositing?
Some Mpesa agents engage in split depositing thinking that they cannot be caught.
Well, Safaricom only needs to do a simple data analysis of your agent number and they’ll detect you.
Remember that any transaction an Mpesa agent does is saved in Safaricom servers. So, retrieving that data is very easy.
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