Consultant Loses Rs 20,000 to Sophisticated WhatsApp Identity Scam

A 55-year-old consultant has fallen victim to a sophisticated WhatsApp impersonation scam, losing MUR 20,000 after fraudsters posed as his aunt to request urgent financial assistance.

The incident, which occurred on the evening of Friday, 23 January 2026, highlights a growing trend of digital identity theft targeting local residents.

The victim, a resident of Roche-Brunes, believed he was helping a family member in distress when he transferred the funds via internet banking.

A Polite Plea for Help

The deception began at 20:08 when the victim received a WhatsApp message from a contact saved as his aunt, who lives in Curepipe. The message, written in a polite English tone, stated:

“Namaste, I need a favour from you please… I’m having a little problem with my MCB account.”

The sender claimed to be facing temporary banking issues and requested a transfer of MUR 20,000, promising a full reimbursement the following day.

Trusting the identity of the sender, the consultant executed the transfer at 21:00 from his MCB savings account to an SBM account under the name Guinness Wennaelle Stephanie, marking the transaction as “family support.”

The Realisation

Suspicion arose minutes later. After receiving a brief “much appreciated” reply at 21:02, the consultant asked his aunt to call him to discuss the matter. His request went unanswered.

It was not until the following evening, Saturday 24 January, that the victim managed to reach his aunt by phone.

She confirmed she had never requested money and revealed that her WhatsApp account had been compromised.

She noted that many of her other contacts had received similar fraudulent requests.

The “+234” Connection

The aunt recounted receiving a call the previous day from an international number beginning with the prefix +234.

An English-speaking individual had attempted to trick her into revealing her six-digit WhatsApp verification code.

Although she claims she did not share the code, her digital identity was successfully hijacked regardless.

Recovery Efforts and Investigation

The victim immediately alerted the Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) via their hotline on Saturday and later filed an official statement at the Beau-Bassin branch.

Current Status of the Case:

• Recovery: Procedures have been initiated with SBM to attempt to retrieve the MUR 20,000.
• Police Action: A formal police investigation has been opened to track the recipient of the funds and identify the perpetrators behind the identity theft.

Source: Defi Media