Frauds in bid to swindle expats under travel ban in Bahrain

TDT | Manama                                                             

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A group of fraudsters are allegedly approaching expatriates under travel ban promising ‘journey to their home countries’ in return for thousands of Bahraini dinars.  Sources say many ‘travel ban expats’ have been already defrauded by these fraudsters, making them pay hundreds of dinars to facilitate boarding flights home. 

There are hundreds of expatriates stranded in Bahrain after being caught in legal issues mainly involving financial mishandling. 

Speaking to The Daily Tribune, an expatriate currently under travel ban, who doesn’t want to be named for security reasons, said he was approached by a group demanding BD3,000 for the safe exit. 

“I was once a successful businessman in the Kingdom. With the beginning of pandemic days, about two-and-a-half years ago, my business enterprises started collapsing. The debts started running high and cases filed by creditors, including banks and loan sharks, started to pile up.  “Subsequently, I was put under a travel ban by the legal authorities here. I have to raise nearly BD40,000 to leave the country.”   The man said a group approached him saying that it is impossible to raise BD40,000 under the present conditions and hence pay them BD3,000, “which will ensure a safe journey back home”. 

“I don’t believe these people. Upon enquiry, I have found that these people have conned many innocent expatriates under travel ban out of thousands of Bahraini dinars in a similar manner. 

“I am a businessman and have confidence in myself. I will pay off all my debts in the coming years and return home without playing tricks with any of my creditors or legal authorities here.”  Generally, expatriates under a travel ban approach their embassies with the help of registered social workers.

The embassy officials or social workers negotiate with the creditors to settle the debts and they fly home if the issues are amicably settled. Expatriates facing cases in courts must wait for the judgement and serve sentences if required before getting deported from the Kingdom.  A good number of expatriates under a travel ban, mainly from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, are those who have fallen prey to loan sharks.

According to a social worker, loan sharks appear to be very friendly and helpful when they hand over the money but turn into the exact opposite mode when it’s time to collect interest. “Victims normally submit signed blank cheques and blank stamp papers with these illegal moneylenders, who would write bigger amounts in the cheque leaf, fabricate debt contract on the stamp paper before filing a court case if the victim fails to pay interest on time,” he explained, adding that some of the loan sharks are even running illegal parallel money remittance services. 

The social worker said he has been many times successful in finding a solution to take the victims out of trouble and travel ban after negotiating with loan sharks.

“We request the victims of loan sharks to approach us. People seeking loans should approach established banks and financial services, and not these  loan  sharks. Never give a signed blank cheque leaf or blank stamp paper to anyone. “If at all an expatriate is placed under a travel ban, he/she should go by the legal, official routes to xget it cleared. Never depend on these fraudsters. It will only lead to money loss and a guaranteed hopeless future.”