Warning to Casablanca merchants regarding fraudulent bank transfer scams

Warning against rising scams targeting Derb Omar professionals

The Union of Merchants and Professionals of Derb Omar in Casablanca has issued an urgent call to all professionals, urging them to exercise caution against a sophisticated criminal scheme based on digital fraud. This scheme aims to seize goods through the forgery of bank documents to deceive merchants into believing that payments have been processed.

How do scammers trap their victims?

According to data revealed by the association, the perpetrator contacts the merchant posing as a client interested in purchasing large quantities of goods. After agreeing on the details, the fraudster sends a fake bank transfer receipt via email or instant messaging apps, claiming the amount has been fully transferred to the merchant’s account. The fraudster then requests that the goods be shipped via private transport. Later, the merchant discovers the receipt is baseless and that the funds have never reached their bank account.

Criminal tactics and constant changes of destination

The association explained that these scammers do not just stop at forgery, but also frequently change the delivery destination, redirecting goods to cities like Agadir or Marrakech, which makes tracking shipments more difficult. This tactic aims to mislead the merchant and cause confusion to ensure the goods are seized before the merchant can verify the validity of the financial transaction.

Practical tips to avoid scams

The association has called on all professionals to adopt strict preventive measures, most notably:

• Never rely solely on images of transfer receipts sent by clients.
• Personally verify the actual credit to the bank account via the official bank app or the bank branch before proceeding with any shipping.
• Exercise extreme caution regarding requests that involve unjustified urgency or last-minute changes to the delivery destination.
• Immediately contact security services or the association’s office if you receive any suspicious calls or requests, to help curb this phenomenon that threatens the stability of commercial transactions in the heart of Casablanca.