Magic wallet in Benin: a Malian lured on Facebook, a suspect arrested in Abomey
In Benin, an individual suspected of criminal conspiracy, fraud and possession of counterfeit banknotes was arrested in Abomey, in the Zou department, on the evening of Sunday, November 16, 2025.
The operation was carried out by the Cana district police station, supported by the Djègbé and Hounli police stations as well as the Zou Surveillance and Intervention Platoon.
The case came to light following a complaint by a Malian national residing in Port-Gentil, Gabon. He had met the suspect via the social network Facebook, where the suspect offered to make a so-called “magic wallet,” a scam well known in the sub-region.
Convinced by the suspect’s promises, the victim left Gabon on Thursday, November 13 and arrived in Cotonou the same day. The suspect then took the victim to a hotel in Zounzonmè, in the Abomey municipality.
With the help of four accomplices, the suspect allegedly extorted a total of 904,000 CFA francs from the victim. Of that amount, 504,000 CFA francs were transferred via mobile money to a number registered in the name of one of the accomplices, while the remainder was handed over in cash for fictitious “rituals.”
The scammers then demanded an additional 2,500,000 CFA francs, an amount the victim could no longer provide. Distraught, she decided to return to Cotonou to seek help from her compatriots.
On Saturday, November 15, during a taxi ride, the victim confided her misadventure to other passengers, who directed her to the Cana police station. She filed a complaint there immediately. The next day, law enforcement mounted an operation that led to the arrest of the main suspect near the Sino-Beninese school in Abomey.
Searches carried out immediately afterward resulted in the seizure of twenty-six counterfeit 10,000 CFA franc notes and twenty-six counterfeit 100 US dollar notes, carefully hidden in a box. Investigations continue to locate other members of the network still on the run.
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