Senegal Scams: Tourist, Online & Investment Fraud Guide
Common scams in Senegal and how to report them to the Police Nationale, gendarmerie, and your bank.
Emergency number: 17 (police), 18 (gendarmerie) — verify on official sources.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026
Senegal is West Africa's most stable democracy and a growing hub for tourism and digital commerce — and its money now moves through Wave and Orange Money, which is where most everyday fraud concentrates. The recurring scripts are fake 'wrong transfer' calls demanding reversal, spoofed deposit SMS shown to shopkeepers, callers impersonating Wave or Orange staff asking for the secret code 'to fix a problem', and phishing pages imitating the wallets' interfaces. Because Wave made transfers nearly free and universal, a stolen code empties a wallet in seconds, and the provider hotline — not the police station — is the first call that matters.
Around Dakar, Saly and Goree, visitors meet insistent unofficial guides, taxi fares that triple without negotiation, and market pressure-selling; the long-running 'faux marabout' fraud — self-styled spiritual healers who take escalating payments to solve love, health or visa problems — targets locals and diaspora alike, advertising openly in classifieds abroad. Fake visa and emigration brokers charging for European papers that never come are a persistent harm given the emigration pressure, and romance scams run from and against Senegal across Facebook and WhatsApp. Investment fraud recycles Ponzi schemes dressed as agriculture, transport or crypto ventures through WhatsApp groups and tontine-style circles.
The Direction Generale de la Police Nationale has a cybercrime section, and any gendarmerie brigade takes complaints; police are on 17 and the gendarmerie on 18. Report wallet fraud to the provider first, then formalise with a police or gendarmerie complaint.
Common scams
- Mobile money fraud — social engineering to authorise Orange Money or Wave transfers
- Online shopping non-delivery via social media
- Fake job offers requiring upfront fees
- Investment and pyramid scheme fraud
Tourist-specific scams
- Unofficial guides and overcharging taxis near tourist areas in Dakar
- Market pressure sales, fake handicrafts, and inflated prices
- Fake tour operators offering Goree Island or Casamance trips
Online shopping scams
- Fake social media shops and marketplace non-delivery
- Phishing targeting mobile banking or mobile money credentials
- Crypto and investment platform fraud
Job scams
- Fake overseas job offers requiring upfront documentation or visa fees
- Task scams via WhatsApp or Telegram with escalating deposit demands
- Fake European visa and emigration brokers collecting staged payments
Romance scams
- Dating-app and social media romance with escalating financial requests
- Long-distance relationships leading to mobile money or crypto transfer requests
- 'Faux marabout' spiritual-healer fraud taking escalating payments for love or visa 'work'
Investment scams
- Pyramid and multi-level investment schemes promising unrealistic returns
- Fake forex and crypto trading platforms
- Ponzi ventures dressed as agriculture, transport or import businesses in WhatsApp groups
How to report a scam here
- Report mobile money fraud to your provider immediately — Orange Money: 888; Wave: in-app support
- Call the police on 17 or the gendarmerie on 18 for urgent matters
- File a cybercrime complaint with the Police Nationale at policenationale.gouv.sn or visit any gendarmerie brigade
- Preserve all evidence: transaction references, phone numbers, screenshots, and messages
Local reporting & protection links
Always verify reporting routes and emergency contacts on the official government or agency website for your country.
Bank & payment guidance
Report mobile money fraud to your provider immediately, Orange Money on 888 or Wave through in-app support, because early reporting gives the best chance of reversing a transaction before it is cashed out. Have the transaction reference, the recipient number and your screenshots to hand, ask for the receiving wallet to be blocked, and take a case reference. If your secret code was revealed, change it at once and have the account locked while you do. If a bank account was used, call the bank on the number printed on your card or in its app, say you were deceived into authorising the payment, and ask for it to be stopped and the receiving account reported. Keep every reference number you are given — the police or gendarmerie complaint that follows will ask for them, and providers act faster when a formal complaint exists.
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 cybercrime in Senegal?
Visit the cybercrime section of the Police Nationale at policenationale.gouv.sn or report in person at any gendarmerie brigade or police station. The Brigade Spéciale de Lutte contre la Cybercriminalité within the DIC handles more specialised investigations.
How do Wave and Orange Money scams work in Senegal?
Typical patterns are 'wrong transfer' calls demanding reversal of money that never arrived, spoofed deposit SMS shown to sellers, and callers posing as provider staff asking for your secret code to 'fix a problem'. No provider ever asks for the code. Check your real balance in the app before acting, and report suspicious transactions through in-app support or the 888 line immediately.
What is a 'faux marabout' scam?
Self-styled spiritual healers promise to resolve love, health, money or visa problems for a fee, then invent complications requiring ever larger payments — a fraud that targets both Senegalese families and the diaspora in Europe. Treat any healer demanding escalating sums or secrecy as a scam and report it.
Sources
- National police and cybercrime portals (verify on official sites)
- FTC / Action Fraud / Scamwatch consumer guidance