Popular social media account front for gold scam victimising Bahrainis

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A glittering social media account with tens of thousands of followers turned out to be a front for fraud, duping unsuspecting Bahrainis out of BD8,000 in fake gold sales, according to prosecutors.

The Cybercrimes Prosecution reported that a victim purchased gold jewellery advertised on the well-known account for BD640, making the payment through an electronic app.

However, the promised item never arrived, leading to an investigation by the Economic Crimes Directorate at the Ministry of Interior.

Prosecutors said the suspect, who has a criminal record for fraud, created and operated the account to peddle non-existent gold jewellery. Several victims were taken in by the scam, collectively losing thousands.

Following the suspect’s arrest, he admitted to deceiving buyers through flashy posts on his account and confessed to pocketing the money for personal use.

Authorities are now working with the Financial Crimes and Money Laundering Prosecution to trace the stolen funds and uncover their trail.

The man, already convicted in a previous fraud case, has been referred to the Third Minor Criminal Court while in custody.

The court is set to hear the case on 3 December 2024.

The Chief of the Cybercrimes Prosecution said the Public Prosecution is cracking down on fraudulent social media accounts that prey on the public’s trust.

She added that steps are being taken to ensure online transactions remain safe and to shield buyers from scams that violate the law.