Serial Scams: Moroccan Migrant Families Targeted by Algerian Mafias

A criminal network composed of Algerian and Libyan mafias is exploiting the distress of Moroccan families, victims of scams linked to the migrant crisis, according to a recent warning issued by an association helping migrants in difficulty. These networks, operating mainly via social networks, pose as lawyers or notaries, promising to find relatives who have disappeared or are detained in Algeria and Libya in exchange for sums of money.

The scammers use Moroccan intermediaries to contact families via platforms such as Messenger and WhatsApp. They encourage them to make financial transfers under the pretext of freeing their loved ones or covering the costs of repatriating the bodies of the deceased to Algeria. The payments, often sent by transfer abroad, are then diverted by these criminals who change identities once the funds are received.

The association points out that these networks go so far as to contact the families of deceased persons, claiming to facilitate the procedures for repatriating the bodies in exchange for money. Families in Morocco and Europe, particularly in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Germany, have been victims of these sophisticated scams.

In a statement, the association expressed its full support to the affected families, urging them to demand justice and remain vigilant against these practices. It strongly denounced the exploitation of the families’ distress by these criminal networks, while promising to take legal measures to bring them to justice.

The association also calls on the authorities to step up investigations to dismantle these networks and protect vulnerable families against these scams which are increasing against the backdrop of the migration crisis.

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