Module 3 · Financial scams

Financial scams

Messages actually received in Benin, and how scammers go about it.

Real casesRole plays
Start the module

What is a financial scam?

A deception aimed at getting money or banking information out of you, by exploiting trust, fear or the desire for gain.

Trust

The scammer pretends to be someone you trust: a bank, a relative, a celebrity, an official authority.

Urgency

He creates an emergency to stop you from thinking: “act now or lose everything”.

Fear

He threatens serious consequences if you don’t act: loss of money, arrest, imminent hacking.

Easy money

He promises a quick, large gain: inheritance, lottery, miracle investment.

And why they fool even careful people:

Copied official visuals

Scammers exactly reproduce the logos, emails and interfaces of real banks or public authorities.

Your real information used

Your name, number or email, taken from data leaks to seem credible.

A gradual process

The scam is built slowly. The first exchanges seem normal, and trust sets in.

Scam scenarios

Read the message, look for what’s wrong, then reveal the signs one by one.

09:41
Unknown numberonline

“Mum, it’s me Aicha. I broke my phone, I’m writing from a friend’s number. I have an urgent problem, I need 150,000 FCFA right away. Don’t call my old number, it doesn’t work any more.”

WhatsApp / SMS

The fake relative

Family impersonation

  • Immediate emotional emergency + time pressure
  • Cuts off the usual way of checking (“don’t call the old number”)
  • Exploits parental love and protectiveness
Call your relative on their OLD number. Ask a question only they can answer. Send nothing before speaking directly to the person.
09:41
Unknown numberonline

“Join our crypto investment group! Deposit 50,000 FCFA and get back 200,000 FCFA in 7 days. Verifiable testimonials. Only 10 places available. Contact me privately.”

Ponzi scheme

Fake investment

The miracle investment

  • Impossible return (200% in 7 days)
  • Fabricated “testimonials” or ones from accomplices
  • When you withdraw, “unlocking fees” are demanded
Golden rule: if an investment promises more than 10% return per month, it’s a scam. Always.
09:41
Unknown numberonline

“Madam, I sent you 50,000 FCFA by mistake to your MTN MoMo number. It’s to pay for my mother’s hospital. Can you pay me back please?”

Very common

Mobile Money

The transfer mistake

  • Immediate emotional pressure (medical emergency)
  • Request for repayment before you have checked
  • You received no MoMo notification
First check your balance and history. If you received nothing, it’s a scam. Contact MTN on 135.

A man claiming to be a French soldier on a mission makes contact on Facebook. After 3 weeks of affectionate exchanges, he asks for money to “get a parcel released from customs”.

First contactAffectionate exchangesRequest for money
Target: women

Romance scam

The UN soldier

  • Too-perfect profile, photos stolen from real soldiers
  • Never available for video (always an excuse)
  • Request for money after an emotional bond has been created
Do a reverse image search (Google Images → drag in the photo). Never send money to someone you haven’t met in person.
09:41
Unknown numberonline

“Job offer: remote secretary working from home, 150,000 FCFA/month. Light work on WhatsApp. To confirm your application, pay 5,000 FCFA in registration fees.”

WhatsApp

Fake job

The phantom recruiter

  • No identifiable company, recruitment on WhatsApp
  • High salary for undefined work
  • Fees demanded before any contract
A serious recruiter never asks for money. Check the company online. Report it to ANPE Benin.
09:41
Unknown numberonline

“Congratulations! Your number has been drawn. You have won 2,000,000 FCFA. To receive your prize, pay 15,000 FCFA in delivery fees and taxes.”

SMS / Facebook

Fake prize

The surprise winner

  • Winning a competition you never entered
  • Fees to pay to “unlock” the prize
  • Urgency: “offer valid for 24 hours only”
You never pay to receive a prize. Ignore and delete. Report it to the ATRPT (+229 21 31 41 14).

Warning signs (just one is enough to stop everything)

  • Urgency or pressure to decide quickly, such as “You must act within 2 hours”. A real emergency always leaves you time to think.
  • Request for money through an unusual channel : Western Union, gift card, cryptocurrency, Orange Money, never official banks.
  • An unexpected gain or an opportunity that is too good. Nobody gives you money for no reason. If it’s too good to be true, it’s fake.
  • Request for secrecy : “Don’t tell anyone”. An honest process never needs secrecy.
  • Inconsistencies in the story : spelling mistakes, names that change, documents full of errors.
  • Impossible to reach any other way : the person refuses video calls and meetings.

Before paying: stop, check, then decide

STOP

Resist the pressure. Take 24 hours if possible. The urgency is invented by the scammer to rush you.

Information you should NEVER share

No matter who asks: technical support, bank, relative or public authority.

I think I am the victim of a scam: what should I do?

  1. Stop all contact and all payments immediately. Stop replying and don’t pay anything more, even if you are promised your money back.
  2. Contact your bank or Mobile Money operator to report the transaction within the first hours: it can sometimes still be blocked. MTN: 135 / Moov: +229 22 46 60 00.
  3. Keep all the evidence : screenshots of messages, phone numbers, transaction references.
  4. Report to the platform. If the scam happened on WhatsApp, Facebook or Instagram, report the account: you protect other victims.
  5. File a complaint with the criminal investigation police (+229 21 30 10 10), with all your evidence.
  6. Talk to someone you trust. Don’t keep it to yourself: these scams are well put together and affect everyone.

End of module

Well done, shall we continue?

Next step: the quick guide, to keep on your phone.

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