Ivory Coast Money Transfer Scams. Beware

[Rich One]

Three people below recently have been victims of Scams originating in the Ivory Coast, West Africa.Via Internet Fraud.

https://www.lavoz.com.ar/ciudadanos/nueva-estafa-digital-con-acento-africano

1. A lady in BA offering via internet her apt in Mar del Plata for rent for this summer.
2. A man in Cordoba published in Internet a car for sale
3. A man in Santiago offered his flat for rent on internet in Dec 2018

The Scam works as follows:

• A Belgian couple wants to move to Argentina, for a few months or a year, they need housing and wheels. Negotiations are carried out by mail with the wife a Senior Citizen?
• They offer to pay for a long term rental or purchase with a wire transfer originating in an Ivory Coast Bank/Abidjan, West Africa. Bank.
• they provide copies of their passports and photocopy of Airline flights and dates of arrival
• They proceed to send a copy of a credible money transfer document/swift from the Opening Branch Ivory Coast, to the Bank of the Beneficiary in Argentina.
• Next day a glitch ,, the Ivory Coast Gov. Blocks the transfer until a US$400 aprox tax is paid by the Beneficiary. They Offer to increase the transfer by that amount if the Beneficiary sends a wire transfer to an acct. in The Ivory Coast to a Government sounding Bank.

The Lady in BA paid the tax for the scam to rent her Summer flat, she never heard from them again
The Man in Santiago did not pay, no news after that.
The man in Cordoba not sure...

 

[Rich One]

Several articles now in the Press in BA, warning against tourist Renters from abroad that offer long term rental, payable via Bank transfer from Ivory Coast... !

 

[Rich One]

The couple always operate under the Same name Marie Bxxxxx Chxxxxxx, a Belgian Citizen