The golden rule is simple: Airtel customer care only ever calls from 0733 100 000, and it will never ask for your Airtel Money PIN. Anyone who calls from another number, or asks for your PIN, or says you have won something and must pay to release it, is a fraudster. Hang up and do not send anything.
The common tricks
- Wrong-send trick: someone claims they sent you money by mistake and begs you to send it back. Check your real balance first: the SMS may be fake.
- PIN reset call: a caller pretends to be Airtel and asks for your PIN or an OTP to fix your account. Airtel never asks for these.
- Prize call: you have won a promotion, just pay a small fee to release it. Real prizes never need a fee.
- Agent overcharge: an agent asks you to enter your PIN into their phone. Only ever enter your PIN on your own phone.
Your safety checklist
- Never share your PIN: on a call or in a message.
- Confirm your balance yourself on
*334#before acting on any money you supposedly received. - Only trust 0733 100 000 as Airtel.
- Report fraud to Airtel on 100 and, for losses, to the police (DCI hotline 0800 722 203).
Frequently asked
Airtel is calling from another number, is it real?
No. Only 0733 100 000 is Airtel. Any other number claiming to be Airtel is a scam: hang up.
Someone sent money by mistake, should I send it back?
Confirm your real balance first. If it did arrive, follow Airtel's proper reversal process: do not send cash yourself.
What if I lost money to a scam?
Call Airtel on 100 to freeze your account, then report to the DCI on 0800 722 203 with the transaction code.
Related
Sources: Airtel Kenya (airtel.africa/ke/money and airtelmoney.ke). Verified 11 September 2026.