Property Scams in Mauritius: Fake Sellers, Fake Rentals and Diverted Payments

Most property scams come down to one move: money sent to the wrong person or the wrong account, usually by bank transfer, which makes it hard to get back. Three habits cut most of the risk. Have the notary check the seller’s title, pay only into an account you have confirmed by phone, and pay nothing on a rental until you have seen the property and read the lease. No official statistics on property fraud in Mauritius have been published. The Bank of Mauritius does warn about the message and transfer scams that make it possible.

The three scams to know

These are classic patterns, listed so you can spot them. They are not local statistics.

• The fake seller. Someone offers a plot or a villa they do not own, backed by documents that look in order. The property is often empty, or owned by someone who lives abroad.
• The fake rental ad. The photos show a real home, the rent looks attractive, and you are asked for a deposit “to hold the property” before any viewing. It targets mostly people searching from abroad.
• The diverted payment. Just as you are about to pay, an email that appears to come from the agency, the developer or the notary’s office announces new bank details. On 13 May 2026 the Bank of Mauritius warned about emails and messages sent in the name of banks, other entities or individuals, including from hacked accounts, to push people into transferring money.

Does the seller really own the property?

In Mauritius, a deed transferring immovable property between living persons must be transcribed at the office of the Conservator of Mortgages (section 3 of the Transcription and Mortgage Act). The Conservator keeps an electronic repertoire with an account in the name of each party to a deed (section 59), and issues a certificate of transcription to any interested person who asks for one (section 7). Searches in the registers need the Conservator’s written authority (section 63).

In practice, this is not a check a buyer can make by comparing papers supplied by the seller. It is the notary’s job: the notary traces the chain of title and checks for mortgages. Our article on the notary’s role in a property purchase covers these checks and the escrow account. Before you pay anything, ask the notary in writing what has been verified: the seller’s identity against the name on the title, any registered charges, and the power of attorney if the seller is acting through an agent.

Two more precautions help. Contact the notary yourself, on a number you found independently of the ad or the seller. And be wary of any sale that wants to bypass the notary: for a purchase from abroad, the power of attorney and the signing are arranged with the notary, as our guide to buying a PDS remotely explains.

Paying: transfers and changed bank details

The Bank of Mauritius advice applies to every property payment: do not respond to any unsolicited email, message or call without first getting confirmation from the institution or person concerned. For a purchase, that gives a simple rule.

• Before each transfer, call the notary’s office, the agency or the developer on a number you already have, never the one in the email announcing the details.
• Compare the account holder’s name with the name of the office or company that should receive the money. A personal account for a payment meant for a notary’s office is a reason to stop.
• Treat new bank details announced by email, especially shortly before signing, as an attempted fraud until proven otherwise.
• Never share your online banking login, your one-time passwords (OTPs) or your card details with anyone, even someone claiming to be your bank.
• Refuse to receive money and pass it on for a third party. The Bank of Mauritius describes this scheme, “money muling”, as a form of money laundering in which the person who lends their account is also exposed.

Before you sign a preliminary agreement, read what the conditions precedent in a promesse de vente provide.

Renting: the fake ad and the deposit before a viewing

On a rental, pay nothing until you have seen the home, or had someone you trust see it, and have read the lease. If you are abroad, ask for a live video tour that shows the inside and the outside rather than accepting photos. Check that the person replying is the owner or the owner’s agent, and that the account receiving the deposit is in that person’s name.

Going through an intermediary changes the checks you need to make, but does not remove them. The differences between renting directly and renting through an agency are compared in renting in Mauritius from a landlord or through an agency. Since 1 August 2026, registration with the Real Estate Agent Authority is compulsory: the first registration phase opened on that date covers agents who buy and sell property, land promoters and property developers. How to ask the Authority about a specific agent is explained in our article on checking that an agent is registered. Registration tells you something about an intermediary, not about who owns a property, so it does not replace checking the title.

Warning signs

• A price well below comparable properties in the same area.
• Urgency: “other buyers are ready”, “it goes today”.
• A refusal to allow a viewing, even by video, or a seller who is always “abroad” with no identifiable representative.
• A payment requested before the viewing, before the lease or before the preliminary agreement.
• A bank account in a third party’s name, or a payment method that leaves no trace.
• Pressure to skip the notary, or to use a notary you cannot reach by any other route.
• An email address that looks like that of an office or an agency without being theirs, or a sender who changes during the exchange.
• An intermediary who cannot give their registration number with the Real Estate Agent Authority.

If you have already paid

Time matters. Tell your bank first, so that it can flag the suspicious transaction, then the police. For online scams and fraudulent messages, the national MAUCORS+ system lets you report cybercrime, with sections for online scams and fraud, phishing and identity theft. In an emergency, the Mauritius Police Force lists 999 as its emergency line.

The Bank of Mauritius also asks the public to report any potential fraud on 202-3800 or by email to communications@bom.mu, and to forward suspicious solicitations to scam-alert@bom.mu. Keep the emails, messages, phone numbers and transfer receipts. Nothing guarantees that the money can be recovered once a transfer has gone through, so checking before you pay remains the best protection.

Sources and checks

• Bank of Mauritius, public notice of 13 May 2026: fraudulent emails and messages
• Bank of Mauritius, public notice of 7 June 2023: money muling and misuse of OTPs
• Transcription and Mortgage Act, consolidated text (Mauritius Revenue Authority)
• Real Estate Agent Authority of Mauritius, official website and FAQ
• MAUCORS+, the Mauritian Cybercrime Online Reporting System
• Mauritius Police Force, official website