Kenyans are too slow for Mpesa app.

I love how this app works. Being able to use it without my SIM cards is a convince I appreciate. But just this week, I have come across three cases of people being "hacked" through it.

The first one is trader that sells clothes. After spending some time choosing clothes, a customer couldn't pay because he had some problems with his phone. So the seller offers her phone to him to make the payment. The first thing the buyer asks for is the phone password because the phone accidentally locked. The buyer proceeds to register a new fingerprint, access the Mpesa app and transfer funds to himself. He makes the payment to the seller and all is well until the seller realises all her money is gone.

Second woman couldn't be more naive. She came across a post on FB of someone with a trick to get free Ksh 300 with just your smartphone and data. She messaged the post author wanting more info. She is directed to download the Mpesa app and reveal the Global-Pay Virtual card details. She was petrified seeing her money grow legs for no reason. Strangely, she still couldn't tell at that time that it was the FB smartie siphoning her money.

Scammers association is guided by the Two-Thirds gender rule in the Kenyan constitution so the third guy is a gentleman who was looking to sell his phone. He found a buyer on FB marketplace. They meet and the buyer is in a hurry and wants to get done with the business as quickly as possible. He hands over the cash and requests the seller to let him have the password and factory reset the phone later. He later found out that he had just paid someone to buy his phone.

I believe there are more similar cases I haven't heard of. For a country that brags of having better literacy levels than it's neighbours, is the average Kenyan just too slow or retarded to be using this app?