A simple typing error can sometimes land you in jail. In Ivory Coast, a young man is now facing justice for succumbing to the temptation to spend 500,000 FCFA he accidentally received in his mobile money account.

The drama behind the data entry error

It all began with a critical medical emergency. A man, identified by the initials KKJ, urgently needed to pay for his seriously ill father's hospitalization. Overwhelmed by stress and emotion, he transferred 500,000 FCFA via his phone. Unfortunately, in his haste, he entered the wrong number.

Realizing his mistake immediately, KKJ contacted his phone company to block the transaction. Too late: customer service informed him that all the funds had already been withdrawn.

From amicable refusal to intervention by the PLCC

The sender then attempted to resolve the situation amicably by directly contacting the interim recipient. Faced with the latter's categorical refusal to return the money, KKJ decided to file a complaint with the Cybercrime Unit (PLCC) .

Thanks to technical investigations, investigators were quickly able to identify and arrest the undue beneficiary, a man named GAS.

The suspect's justifications

During his interrogation, GAS fully admitted to the facts. In his defense, he explained that the money had "fallen from the sky" at the very moment of his grandmother's death. He confessed to using the 500,000 FCFA to finance the funeral and relieve his mother of the bereavement expenses, while stating that he intended to reimburse the victim later.

What the law says

Future intentions to repay the debt were not enough to convince the authorities. GAS was brought before the public prosecutor. He is being prosecuted for the unlawful appropriation of another's property , an offense heavily punished under Law No. 2013-451 of June 19, 2013, concerning the fight against cybercrime in Côte d'Ivoire.

A very bad deal which serves as a reminder that, in the realm of mobile money, honesty remains the best legal protection.