Social media has democratized online commerce in Morocco. Anyone can sell on Instagram, Facebook, or Avito in minutes. But this ease has also opened the door to an unprecedented wave of scams. The DGSN (General Directorate of National Security) reports a 45% increase in cybercrime complaints in 2025, a large share of which concerns online fraud.
The most common scams
The classic scenario: an Instagram seller posts attractive product photos (often stolen from the internet), offers an attractive price, requests a wire transfer or CashPlus/Wafacash transfer, then disappears once the money is received. Variation: the received product doesn't match the description at all. Another common scam: a fake buyer contacts a legitimate seller, claims to have paid (with a fake transfer screenshot), and picks up the product without ever paying.
Virtually no recourse
The worst part? Victims have virtually no recourse. Filing a complaint for a 500 or even 2,000 MAD scam involves long and costly procedures with no guarantee of results. Platforms like Instagram offer no transactional protection. Result: most victims don't even report the scam, meaning official figures represent just the tip of the iceberg.
Impact on the e-commerce ecosystem
These scams don't just affect direct victims. They poison the entire ecosystem. Every bad experience shared on social media deters dozens of potential buyers. Honest sellers suffer: they lose sales because customers are afraid. It's a vicious cycle that hinders the development of digital commerce in Morocco.
Protecting yourself: best practices
Some golden rules: never wire money directly to a stranger, check the seller's profile age and reviews, demand a secure payment method, be wary of prices too good to be true. But the best protection remains using a trusted third party that secures the transaction for both parties.
Escrow: the structural solution
An escrow service like tiqopay solves the problem at its root. The buyer pays, but the money is securely held. The seller delivers, knowing the funds are guaranteed. The buyer confirms receipt, and only then is the money released. If something goes wrong, a mediator steps in. Zero risk for both parties, zero possible scam.