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Join on Telegram Rabat – An investigative judge at the Tangier Court of First Instance is scheduled to hold a hearing on Thursday for individuals accused in the “Al Khair Group” fraud case.
This hearing comes as the number of complaints continues to surge, prompting the court to allocate a special office for managing the influx of submissions. The case involves hundreds of victims who were lured with promises of quick profits.
SNRT News spoke with Ridouane El-Saidaoui, a lawyer representing several of the victims, who said that the number of complaints had reached 1,000 by last Friday.
These complaints have been filed by individuals both inside and outside Morocco, who found themselves deceived by a scam orchestrated through a WhatsApp group. The group leaders convinced members to make financial contributions with the promise of receiving substantial returns.
Currently, 11 people — 10 women and one man — are under arrest. They are all identified as either founders or key figures in the operation of the group. However, several other suspects have fled the country.
El-Saidaoui explained that the fraudulent scheme began in February 2022 when it was initially created by three women. Despite the group’s activities, complaints did not start coming in until last month. Over the course of this period, the group used various tactics and offers to persuade hundreds of people to join, with the prospect of easy and quick financial gains failing to raise suspicions among most.
The scam operated by requiring an initial membership fee starting at MAD 1,800 ($180). Participants were promised a return of MAD 10,000 ($1,000) after six months. To further entice participants, the group offered special “packs” where a contribution of around MAD 10,500 ($1,500) could yield a profit of MAD 300,000 ($30,000).
The scheme was designed in such a way that the larger the contribution, the bigger the promised return.
Read also: Casablanca: 6,000 Moroccans Scammed in a Pyramid Scheme
The success stories of early participants who received these exaggerated returns have encouraged others to join and led to a rapid increase in membership. In addition, the group incentivized members who could not afford the full contribution by allowing them to make a single payment if they could recruit others to join.
This approach led many individuals to bring in friends and family members.
Bank transfers were used to facilitate transactions, which contributed to the sense of legitimacy, as many believed that the involvement of banks reduced the likelihood of fraud. Some transactions were also completed in cash.
The group’s reach extended deep into families, with entire households being drawn in. El-Saidaoui noted that once one family member profited, they would often convince others to join, creating a ripple effect that spread to relatives and neighbors.
The scheme also ensnared employees and officials in Tangier and other cities, not just targeting the financially vulnerable. El-Saidaoui highlighted that some influential figures invested significant sums of money, often at the behest of family members who were directly in contact with the group’s organizers.
Once the scam began to be exposed, the group was shut down and its leaders fled, leaving others behind who were subsequently arrested. Among those detained are several women who were active in recruiting victims.
El-Saidaoui urged the public to be cautious of such fraudulent schemes. He emphasizes that there is no such thing as quick, effortless profit, particularly when the promised returns are disproportionately high in a short period.
This was not the first scam of its kind in Morocco as similar fraudulent schemes have emerged in the past. However, the scale and impact of the “Al Khair Group” scam appears to be unprecedented.
