Asian Scammer Defrauds Company Owner of 15,000 Dinars

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Email: editor@newsofbahrain.com

An Asian expat has been accused of defrauding a Bahraini company owner of 15,000 dinars through a sophisticated scam involving a fake "Benefit" app update message.

The victim, a 57-year-old Arab national, received a text message purportedly from "Benefit" stating that his bank card and ID details were expired and required updating. The message included a link, which the victim clicked on.

The link led to a webpage requesting personal information, including bank card details and the PIN. After entering this information, the victim was asked to enter a One-Time Password (OTP) received via text message.

Shortly after entering the OTP, he received a notification from his bank confirming a withdrawal of 15,000 dinars from his account.

The victim immediately reported the incident to the authorities.

Investigations by the Economic Crimes Department revealed that the suspect had used a stolen identity to open a bank account. He had allegedly tricked an individual into allowing him to photograph their ID and use it to open a bank account. This account was then used to carry out the fraudulent transactions and transfer the funds abroad, concealing the identity of the perpetrator.

The suspect attempted to flee the country the day after the individual who had unwittingly allowed him to use their identity was apprehended by the police.

The individual whose identity was used confirmed that they had not opened a bank account, but had been tricked by the suspect into providing their ID for a mobile SIM card application. The suspect then used this information to open the fraudulent bank account.

The Public Prosecution has charged the suspect with using the victim's electronic signature (the bank card OTP) for fraudulent purposes and illegally obtaining the victim's money through deceptive means.

The High Criminal Court has scheduled a hearing for September 16th to deliver its verdict, while the suspect remains in custody.