Mozambique Scams: Tourist, Online & Investment Fraud Guide
Common scams affecting tourists and residents in Mozambique, with official reporting routes through the PRM and the Attorney General fraud portal.
Emergency number: 119 (police) — verify on official sources.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026
Mozambique is a growing destination for beach and dive tourism, and for residents its fraud landscape runs through mobile money: Vodacom's M-Pesa, e-Mola and mKesh carry daily commerce, and with them the standard scripts — fake 'wrong transfer' reversal calls, spoofed confirmation SMS shown to vendors, callers impersonating provider staff who extract PINs, agent fraud and SIM swaps. Phishing and WhatsApp messages impersonate Millennium bim, BCI and Standard Bank, advance-fee and lottery hoaxes circulate by SMS, and social-media shops take payment for goods that never ship.
Investment fraud recycles Ponzi schemes through churches, workplaces and WhatsApp groups with promises of monthly returns, and fake job ads charge 'registration' fees in a tough labour market — including bogus recruitment for South African mines and for the gas projects in Cabo Delgado, where 'guaranteed placement' brokers collect fees for jobs they cannot deliver. Tourists in Tofo, the Bazaruto Archipelago and Maputo meet informal-sector fraud: unlicensed taxis and chapas overcharging, unofficial dhow and dive operators without safety equipment collecting cash for trips that get cancelled, fake 'police fines' solicited at roadside stops, and money-changers short-counting meticais.
The Mozambique Republic Police (PRM) and the Attorney General's dedicated fraud portal for telecom and electronic-payment fraud at fraude-denuncias.pgr.gov.mz are the key official channels. Provider first for wallet fraud — funds can sometimes be held before cash-out — then the PRM report.
Common scams
- Phishing messages impersonating M-Pesa or other mobile money services
- Advance-fee and lottery scams via SMS or WhatsApp
- Investment and crypto fraud promoted via social media
- Online marketplace fraud with no delivery
Tourist-specific scams
- Overcharging informal taxis at Maputo airport and tourist areas
- Unofficial dhow or dive operators in Bazaruto and Tofo
- Overpriced currency exchange at unofficial booths
- Distraction theft at Maputo markets
Online shopping scams
- Fake mobile money (M-Pesa) request messages
- Social media shop scams with counterfeit or non-existent goods
- Phishing links targeting online banking credentials
Job scams
- Fake overseas job ads requiring advance fees or documents
- Task scams via messaging apps escalating into deposit demands
- Bogus recruitment for mines and gas projects charging 'guaranteed placement' fees
Romance scams
- Dating-app grooming escalating to investment or money requests
- Fake online partners seeking emergency wire transfers
- Hijacked WhatsApp accounts asking the victim's contacts for loans
Investment scams
- Fake forex and crypto platforms promoted via WhatsApp and social media
- Pig-butchering combining romance with fabricated investment portals
- Ponzi schemes promising monthly returns through community and church networks
How to report a scam here
- Contact your bank or M-Pesa provider immediately to freeze affected accounts
- Report fraud involving telecoms or electronic payment to the Attorney General portal at fraude-denuncias.pgr.gov.mz
- Call 119 to reach the Mozambique Republic Police for urgent matters
- Preserve all screenshots, messages and transaction receipts as evidence
Local reporting & protection links
Always verify reporting routes and emergency contacts on the official government or agency website for your country.
Bank & payment guidance
Reach your bank quickly, or Vodacom Mozambique through its official channels if M-Pesa was used, and ask for the affected accounts to be frozen — have the transaction reference and receiving number ready, since wallet funds can sometimes be held before the recipient cashes out at an agent. Use contact details you look up yourself, not any sent by whoever contacted you. Tell them plainly that you were tricked into authorising the payment, ask for it to be recalled and for the receiving account to be reported, and record the reference. Mention any PIN or code you shared, reset it immediately, and ask whether a SIM swap has been run against your line. A PRM case number, or a report at fraude-denuncias.pgr.gov.mz, supports the dispute; tourists who paid card deposits to no-show operators should also pursue chargebacks through their home issuer.
Evidence to preserve
- Screenshot all messages, profiles, websites and payment pages
- Save transaction references, account numbers and crypto wallet addresses
- Keep emails with full headers where possible
- Note dates, times, names and phone numbers used
Frequently asked questions
How do I report telecom or mobile money fraud in Mozambique?
The Attorney General of Mozambique operates a dedicated fraud reporting portal at fraude-denuncias.pgr.gov.mz specifically for fraud involving telecommunications networks or electronic payment methods. You can also call 119 to contact the Mozambique Republic Police directly.
How do M-Pesa scams work in Mozambique?
The recurring scripts are 'wrong transfer' calls demanding you reverse money that never actually arrived, spoofed confirmation SMS, callers posing as Vodacom staff dictating PIN-revealing steps, and SIM swaps. Check your real balance in the menu before acting on any message, never dial codes at a caller's instruction, and report fraud through Vodacom's official channel plus the Attorney General's portal.
How do I choose a safe dive or dhow operator in Mozambique?
Use operators with a physical base, verifiable certification and a multi-season review history, and be cautious with beach sellers collecting cash for next-day trips. Confirm safety equipment is aboard and prefer paying a balance on the day over full prepayment to an individual.
Sources
- National police and cybercrime portals (verify on official sites)
- FTC / Action Fraud / Scamwatch consumer guidance