Advance Fee Scams in Botswana
How advance fee fraud targets Batswana with fake business deals, inheritance notifications, and government grant schemes.
Part of: Advance Fee Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Advance fee scams in Botswana arrive via email, SMS, and WhatsApp, promising recipients access to large sums of money — from business deals involving diamond or mining revenues, from inheritances, or from foreign grants — in exchange for a series of upfront fees. Each fee paid generates a demand for another until the victim realises no payout is coming.
Botswana's relatively strong economy and reputation as a stable, business-friendly country make it a target for scammers who construct advance fee narratives around diamond industry wealth, government procurement deals, or cross-border trade opportunities.
How this scam works on Botswana
A Motswana receives an email or WhatsApp message from someone claiming to be a business executive, government official, or attorney with access to a large sum of money that needs a trusted local partner. The story may involve diamond industry proceeds, a foreign fund frozen in a bank, or an inheritance from a recently deceased businessperson.
The recipient is asked to pay fees for legal clearance, bank processing, or official stamps. After each payment, a new hurdle emerges. Victims who pay multiple times may be threatened with legal action if they demand a refund, adding fear to the manipulation.
Business owners in Botswana are sometimes targeted with procurement-specific variants: a supposed government official offers a lucrative contract in exchange for a 'goodwill deposit.'
Common red flags
- Unsolicited message from an unknown person offering a share of a large fund in exchange for assistance
- Any upfront fee required to access or release the funds
- Story involves high-value industries plausible in Botswana — diamonds, mining, government contracts
- Representative cannot be verified through publicly accessible official channels
- New fees keep appearing after each payment
- Threats of legal consequences for not proceeding
How to protect yourself
- No legitimate business or government deal requires a personal fee from the recipient before funds are released
- Verify any person or company through the Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) of Botswana
- Consult an independent Botswana-registered attorney before paying anything related to a business claim
- Never make payments based solely on promises made via email or messaging apps
- Stop all payments and contact police if you have already paid — further payment will not unlock anything
How to report it
- Report to the Botswana Police Service — the Anti-Corruption Unit handles fraud referrals
- Report to the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) if a government body was impersonated
- Contact your bank immediately if a transfer was made to attempt a recall
Frequently asked questions
Why do advance fee scammers specifically reference diamonds and mining in Botswana?
Botswana is the world's largest diamond-producing country by value, and this is widely known. Scammers use plausible local industry references to make their story credible. If a stranger contacts you with a diamond-related business opportunity requiring a fee, that is precisely the kind of local-flavour story scammers construct — it does not make the offer legitimate.