Online Scam: Belize Man loses $745 after replying to unknown account on Facebook

Belize: A 27-year-old man from Blue Creek, Toledo District in Belize was conned out of $745 in an elaborate Facebook scam. The incident began on January 12 when the man received an unsolicited message on Facebook from an account claiming to belong to one ‘SOFIQ River’.  

It is reported that the message congratulated him and asked him to go claim a package from someone known as Agent Joseph Witter. After reaching out the alleged agent, the victim was told that he had won an international grant, valued at whopping $50,000, approved by the FedEx company. 

According to the victim, the man behind the messages claimed to be an agent from FedEx and he asked him to send a series of payments as a ‘delivery fee’. The 27-year-old thought that it was legitimate, leading him to follow the asked instructions and deposit a total of $415 Belize dollars over three transactions within two days.  

Following this, the victim was told that his prize would be delivered directly at his residence in Blue Creek on January 14, 2025, however, shortly before the alleged delivery time, the so-called ‘Agent Witter’ claimed to have been stopped by the police officers in Belize, adding that a bribe was required to release the funds. 

The scam further continued as the victim was then contacted by a Facebook account, posing as a police officer named ‘Sh Doroteria’ who vowed to assist him and assured that all his funds would be released and send to him directly. Through this account, the scammers then asked for another $330 for the funds to be released.  

Not realising that he was being duped, the victim sent the asked amount, bringing his total loss to $745 Belize dollars. Following some days, the man realised that he has been scammed as the alleged grant of $50,000 never actually reached his doorstep and the accounts on Facebook also stopped replying back to his texts.  

The victim, after realising, reported the matter with the police following which the officers sent a letter to the Financial Intelligence Unit to investigate the banking details linked with the account to which the money was sent on several occasions.  

The police said that the investigation into the matter has been launched and urged the public to stay aware and informed about such online scams in order to avoid being a victim to same.