The +51 international calling code, associated with Peru, has been cited in warnings about Wangiri-style phone scams targeting Kenyan mobile users. According to reports, fraudsters use unfamiliar international numbers to place very short or one-ring calls designed to encourage recipients to call back.
When victims return the missed calls, they may be connected to premium-rate or high-cost international numbers that rapidly consume airtime or generate unexpected charges. The scheme relies on curiosity and urgency, with scammers hoping that recipients will return calls from numbers they do not recognize.
The Communications Authority of Kenya has advised mobile users not to return calls from unfamiliar international numbers unless they can independently verify the caller. Suspicious numbers should be reported to the relevant mobile network provider, and users should remain cautious of repeated missed calls from unknown foreign prefixes.
Reported 9 Feb 2026
