How to avoid car buying scams in Kenya

Last updated · Cada car guides

Most car scams in Kenya ask you to pay before you can verify. Never send a deposit for a car you have not seen, always run an NTSA search and meet the registered owner, match the chassis number on the car to the record, pay through a traceable channel only after the transfer has been initiated on eCitizen, and for imports deal with a registered company that shows the exporter's invoice and KRA's tax breakdown.

Key facts
Rule 1No deposits for unseen cars
Rule 2NTSA search before any payment
Rule 3Seller's ID must match the NTSA record
Rule 4Traceable payment, never cash in a parking lot

Common scams

  • A price far below market with a story (relocating, urgent sale) and a request for a deposit by M-Pesa.
  • A "cloned" car carrying another car's plates and logbook details. The chassis number gives it away.
  • A broker who is not the owner and adds a markup, or disappears after payment.
  • Fake import agents who take a deposit and stop answering. Ask for the company registration, KRA PIN and the exporter's invoice.

On Cada

Sources

  1. eCitizen: NTSA services (motor vehicle search, transfer, registration)
  2. Kenya Law: Traffic Act (Cap. 403)

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with the authority named in the sources before you pay.