ISO
BJ
Benin
+229
Capital
Porto-Novo
Risk level
HIGH ▲
▲ ACTIVE THREAT - +229
Benin is one of the lesser-known but active West African scam hubs. Like neighboring Nigeria and Ghana, scammers target French-speaking and English-speaking Western victims with romance, inheritance, and business fraud.
Scam Calls from +229 (Benin): West African Fraud Hub
Common scam types from +229
Long-term emotional manipulation, often via dating sites.
Inheritance fraud
Claims that you have inherited money from a Beninese 'relative' or business partner.
Fake offers to help victims win the US Diversity Visa lottery for a fee.
Warning signs
Red flags
- Unverified inheritance claims
- Requests for visa processing fees
- Online romance escalating to money requests
What to do
Steps
- Verify any inheritance claim through licensed attorneys only
- Never pay for visa lottery services (it's free)
- Block and report
How to block calls from +229
Carrier-level blocking
- Block the number
- Block international calls from West Africa if not needed
Scam types reference
Learn how the major phone-scam patterns work - all scam types →
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