Phone scam targets rural residents in Larache province under pretense of social aid

A growing number of residents in rural villages across Larache Province are receiving suspicious phone calls from unknown numbers, with callers posing as officials involved in Morocco’s social aid programs and attempting to extract personal and financial information.

A villager near the city of Ksar El Kebir told Hespress AR that he had received multiple calls from an unfamiliar number. The caller, he said, claimed to be verifying details for the distribution of monthly social aid and requested his personal identification number and account information from the agency where he typically receives support.

Hespress AR sources familiar with the matter said the callers are targeting economically vulnerable individuals by exploiting their expectations of receiving government assistance. Posing as officials, they deceive victims into revealing sensitive data, which is then used to access and withdraw funds from their accounts.

In one case, a resident was reportedly shocked to discover that a significant sum had been withdrawn from his account at a local financial agency in Ksar El Kebir. He had earlier received a phone call from a man who identified himself as a representative of the social aid program in Rabat. The timing of the call and the withdrawal has raised suspicions of fraud.

Another resident from the same area said he had been repeatedly contacted by someone requesting his national ID number and the serial code associated with his social aid registration. According to experts, such details should never be solicited via phone.

These fraudulent schemes appear to be on the rise, increasingly affecting vulnerable rural populations, many of whom lack formal bank accounts or digital literacy. Authorities have yet to release an official statement, but the incidents underscore the need for increased awareness and stronger safeguards against cyber and phone-based fraud, especially in remote areas.