12-member criminal gang accused of fraud through mobile payment application

TDT | Manama                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

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The High Criminal Court has commenced the trial of a 12-member criminal gang accused of defrauding victims through a mobile payment application. The group allegedly targeted individuals, including a ministry employee from whom BD468 were stolen.

The Public Prosecution charged the 12 defendants with conspiracy and aiding others, including unidentified individuals, in using the electronic signatures of several victims to illegally access their bank accounts.

The gang allegedly obtained victims’ bank verification codes through fraudulent means and false pretenses to steal funds. The charges include unauthorized access to victims’ accounts and the use of fraudulent methods, including the use of the bank card verification code, to steal money.

Banking information

A female ministry employee, one of the victims, testified that she received a call from an Asian man claiming to be a bank employee who needed to update her banking information.

She provided her verification code and later discovered she had been defrauded of BD468. Meanwhile, a Ministry of Interior officer testified that information was received about a group of Asian individuals engaging in electronic fraud.

The investigation led to the identification of the defendants.

Necessary tools

The officer stated that the first and twelfth defendants allegedly led the gang, recruiting members and providing them with the necessary tools.

Their method involved searching for random mobile payment app numbers, recording valid ones, and noting the associated bank and account holder’s name.

The second stage, according to the officer, involved contacting victims, impersonating bank or official personnel, obtaining their banking details, and stealing their funds.

Defrauding victims

The remaining defendants allegedly collected numbers, while the first and twelfth defendants were responsible for contacting and defrauding victims.

The officer confirmed that the ministry employee victim was contacted by the first defendant, who impersonated a bank employee and requested data updates, subsequently stealing BD468 and transferring the money to another individual.

Examination of the first defendant’s phone revealed communication with the victim on the day of the incident. The second defendant stated that someone introduced him to the seventh defendant, who, along with the first defendant, recruited them to contact individuals and obtain the mobile payment numbers.

Selling sweets

The fourth defendant stated that he arrived in Bahrain with the eighth defendant, who said he would work selling sweets for the twelfth defendant.