TECH AND STARTUPS
Warning: Fake Internet Offers Target DRC Mobile Money Users
Fake low-cost internet offers on WhatsApp and Facebook are stealing passwords, secret codes and money from Mobile Money users in the DRC.
Published:
July 25, 2026 at 2:21:47 PM
Modified:
July 25, 2026 at 2:21:47 PM
Congolese internet users are being warned about fake low-cost internet promotions designed to steal passwords, secret codes and money from Mobile Money accounts.
The fraudulent adverts are circulating mainly through WhatsApp and Facebook. Some promise unlimited Starlink internet for prices far below normal market offers, then direct interested users to websites that collect their personal and financial information.
According to Radio Okapi, a Bukavu resident identified as Mister Paffs followed a link advertising one month of unlimited Starlink access for $7 under the name of a local telecommunications company.
He reportedly entered information connected to his digital wallet. More than $65 disappeared from the account shortly afterwards, while the promised internet service was never provided.
The Bukavu case is a reported victim account, not a national loss estimate.
Radio Okapi says other Congolese consumers have reported similar incidents, but neither a regulator nor a law-enforcement agency has published a verified national number of victims, the total amount stolen or an arrest connected to this specific campaign.
How the fake internet offer works
The method is a form of phishing.
Criminals do not need to break into a Mobile Money platform when they can persuade an account holder to give them the information needed to access or authorise transactions.
The scam generally follows five steps:
The bait: A cheap or unlimited internet offer appears on WhatsApp, Facebook or another social platform.
The borrowed identity: The post uses the name, logo or visual style of a known internet provider, telecom company or local business.
The fraudulent link: The victim is sent to a website that may resemble an official registration or payment page.
The data request: The page asks for a telephone number, password, Mobile Money PIN, validation code or other confidential information.
The withdrawal: The stolen details are used to access the wallet or approve an unauthorised transfer.
The attractive price is what makes the trap effective.
Many Congolese households and businesses want faster, more affordable internet. A promotion claiming to provide unlimited satellite access for only $7 can therefore spread quickly among relatives, friends and community groups.
The person forwarding the message may not know it is fraudulent. Trust in the sender can make the recipient less likely to examine the link or verify the offer independently.
Seven warning signs that an offer may be a scam
1. The price is unrealistically low
A large discount is not automatically fraudulent, but a price far below the provider’s normal offer should trigger additional checks.
Do not rely on the amount shown in a social-media graphic. Open the provider’s official website or verified application independently and compare the offer there.
2. The post asks users to follow an unfamiliar link
Fraudulent pages may use an address that resembles a company name but contains extra letters, misspellings, unusual symbols or an unrelated domain.
A padlock or “https” at the beginning of the address only means that the connection is encrypted. It does not prove that the person operating the website is legitimate.
3. The page requests a Mobile Money secret code
A merchant may legitimately ask a customer to approve a payment through an operator’s official process. It should not ask the customer to type a wallet PIN, password or one-time validation code into an unknown website or send it through a message.
Orange DRC’s official guidance says a customer’s four-digit Orange Money code must remain confidential. Orange states that it does not know the code and will never ask the customer to disclose it.
The same safety principle should be applied to every Mobile Money service: never share a secret code, PIN or validation code with an advert, seller, caller or person claiming to provide technical assistance.
4. The promotion creates pressure
Messages such as “only ten places remaining,” “pay in the next five minutes” or “the offer ends today” are intended to stop users from verifying the information.
A legitimate company should allow customers to confirm a promotion through its official channels.
5. Payment must be sent to a personal number
An advert using a recognised company’s name but demanding payment to an unexplained personal wallet is a major warning sign.
Before paying, confirm the authorised payment channel directly with the company.
6. The offer exists only in a forwarded message
A logo, screenshot or popular Facebook page is not proof of authenticity.
Search for the promotion on the provider’s official website, application and verified social accounts. If it cannot be found, contact the company using a telephone number obtained from its official website, not the number displayed in the suspicious advert.
7. The seller asks for more information than the service requires
A promotion should not require access to a wallet password, identity document, email password or unrelated personal information without a clear and legitimate reason.
Stop when the request does not match the service being purchased.
What to do if you already entered your information
Act immediately. A short delay can give criminals time to move money through several accounts.
Contact the Mobile Money operator
Use the operator’s official customer-service number, verified application or physical shop. Ask for the wallet to be secured or temporarily blocked and report every transaction you did not authorise.
Do not call the telephone number contained in the suspicious advert.
Orange Money customers can contact Orange customer service on 1777 or visit an official Orange shop, according to the company’s account-management guidance.
Customers of another network should use that operator’s official support channel.
Change exposed credentials
Change the Mobile Money PIN through the operator’s approved process.
If the same password or code was used for email, social media, banking or another account, change it everywhere it was reused. Start with the email account because it may be used to reset other passwords.
Never reuse a Mobile Money PIN as a telephone unlock code or password for another service.
Preserve the evidence
Take screenshots of:
the advert and account that published it;
the website address;
the WhatsApp or Facebook conversation;
telephone numbers used by the suspected fraudster;
payment or transfer messages;
transaction references; and
the date, time and amount of every unauthorised operation.
Do not continue communicating with the fraudster simply to collect more evidence. Save what is already available and give it to the operator or competent authorities.
Report the advert
Report the post, page, group message or account to Facebook, WhatsApp or the platform where it appeared. Warn the person who forwarded it so they can alert other recipients.
Share a screenshot of the warning if necessary, but avoid reposting a live fraudulent link that could send more people to the trap.
Submit a consumer complaint
The Regulatory Authority for Posts and Telecommunications of Congo, ARPTC, operates the 155 consumer line for complaints, requests and information involving telecommunications services.
The regulator’s 2025 consumer-call report confirms the operation of the line. A victim should still contact the Mobile Money operator first when a wallet is actively at risk because immediate account protection is the priority.
Where money has been stolen, the victim can also report the matter to the police or the competent judicial authorities and provide the preserved digital evidence.
Reporting quickly does not guarantee that the money will be recovered, but it can help the operator trace transactions, protect the remaining balance and preserve records needed for an investigation.
What Congolese law says about phishing
The DRC’s Digital Code contains several provisions that may apply to fraudulent websites and the misuse of stolen personal information. The exact charge and penalty in any case would depend on the evidence and the decision of the competent judicial authorities.
Under Article 349, using another person’s or company’s identifying information to deceive website users or message recipients into disclosing personal or confidential data is punishable by six months to two years in prison and a fine of 25 million Congolese francs, or either penalty.
Article 351 addresses identity theft through phishing and other digital methods. It also provides a heavier penalty when someone falsely presents themselves as a trusted institution to induce a victim to disclose personal data.
Under Article 352, using personal or confidential information obtained from a victim to divert public or private funds is punishable by five to ten years in prison and a fine of 50 million to 100 million Congolese francs.
These provisions show that a fake internet promotion is not simply misleading advertising when it is used to collect confidential information and steal money.
However, the existence of strong penalties does not establish that the people behind this specific campaign have been identified, arrested, prosecuted or convicted.
Why Mobile Money users are attractive targets
Mobile Money allows people to store funds, pay bills and transfer money without a traditional bank account. That convenience also means a stolen PIN or validation code can expose savings that are immediately available.
Unlike a physical theft, a phishing campaign can reach thousands of people at little cost. The same fake advert can be copied into many groups, translated into different languages and republished under several names.
Fraudsters also exploit the gap between a recognisable brand and its official digital channels.
A victim may see a Starlink logo, a telecommunications-company name and a familiar Mobile Money option on the same page. Together, those elements can create the appearance of legitimacy even when none of the companies is connected to the offer.
The safest habit is simple: do not verify an offer through the same message that is trying to sell it.
Open the company’s official website separately, use its verified application or contact its official customer service.
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