Police arrest alleged online scam network posing as women in Richard-Toll

The raids by Richard-Toll investigators seized 1.45 million CFA francs in cash and seven mobile phones, several of which were reportedly acquired from funds from online scams.

The case began as a simple investigation for the possession and collective use of Indian hemp, before taking an unexpected turn. The exploitation of the suspects’ phones has uncovered an alleged scam network, according to information reported by Kawtef.

Investigations revealed that the defendants were posing as women on pornographic WhatsApp groups. They used this technique to trap their victims, from whom they would withdraw money through transfers to Wave accounts.

This pattern recalls the reports of the National Financial Information Processing Unit (CENTIF). In May 2026, the CENTIF had identified many suspicious transactions of small amounts – 2 000, 3 000 or 5 000 CFA francs – transiting through electronic money platforms. These streams were linked to the dissemination of paid sexual content on WhatsApp and Facebook groups, revealing a fragmented organisation.

In total, four people were arrested in this case. The defendants were referred to the prosecutor’s office of Saint-Louis for association of criminals and online fraud.