Fake police media sites alert as many in Bahrain receive mails asking to pay fines for illegal Internet surfing

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Staff Reporter

The Anti-Cyber Crimes Directorate within the General Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security has warned against being victims of fake websites carrying the logo of the Bahrain Police Media Centre, being used for e-scam and stealing credit cards.

Those websites, discovered during routine follow up to ensure electronic protection for all users, appear while using malicious links that direct users while surfing the Internet and inform individuals that they must pay fines for illegal Internet surfing, the directorate said.

“The warning comes as part of proactive procedures to discover new criminal electronic methods to enhance awareness of citizens and residents,” it added.

Many individuals received emails asking to pay fines for illegal Internet surfing.

Speaking to The Daily Tribune, a victim who does not want to be identified, said he received a mail in the name of Bahrain Police asking to pay a fine of BD190 by credit card or face jail.

“I was devastated upon seeing the message as I have never watched or attempted to access pornographic or other illicit material online. I have always been a law-abiding individual,” he said, requesting the Interior Ministry to take strict action against the scammers.

Another individual, also a victim of the scam, said he felt stunned after receiving the mail.

“I have two teenaged sons and suspected them of attempting to access illicit contents. I even questioned them without knowing that this was a scam.”

The mail generally sent to victims asks them “to pay a fine of BD190 by credit card as prescribed by Decree No: 179-374 of 2022”. “Your browser has been blocked due to repeated visits to pornographic sites containing materials prohibited by the laws of Bahrain, namely pornographic promoting paedophilia, violence and homosexuality.

“If you fail to pay a fine to attempt to unblock your computer without paying a fine, all information on your device will be permanently deleted to prevent the dissemination of pornography. “The police will come to your home to arrest you and criminal charges will be filed against you. Your device will be unlocked automatically after the fine is paid,” the mail says.

It also instructs to pay the fine within 12 hours or face arrest from the police.

The Daily Tribune earlier reported about a smishing scandal, in which scammers targeted many by sending SMSs in the name of the Crime Investigation Department (CID).

Smishing or SMS phishing is a fraudulent act through which scammers send text messages to trick a person into revealing some sensitive personal information that could be used for all sorts of fraud activities including siphoning money from bank accounts or transferring money to other bank accounts using online funds transfer apps.

The Daily Tribune has also been carrying many reports in the last few weeks about fraudsters targeting the online banking and financial transaction network in the Kingdom.

The published articles carried the plight of many citizens and expatriates, who together lost thousands of Bahraini dinars to the scammers.