Police arrest gang in BD42,000 phone scam

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Police yesterday busted a gang for swindling people out of around BD42,000 by running a phone scam.

Authorities, in coordination with banks, managed to stop the transfers and recover the money.

Officials are taking legal measures to refer the suspect to Public Prosecution.

The Director-General of the General Department for Combating Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security said they trapped the gang, all Asian nationals, after investigating a complaint from a citizen who lost BD11,000 from his bank account following a phone call.

"We formed a special security team and opened an investiga- tion in coordination with other agencies," said the Director General.

Investigators managed to track the transactions and their beneficiaries in coordination with the bank.

"This resulted in identifying and arresting the gang and seizing the devised and mobile phones used for the fraud."

The suspects, police said, managed to trap several and seize large sums of money from their accounts.

"We managed to stop all those transactions in coordination with the bank," said the Director General.

The Director-General also warned people to remain cautious as fraudsters are coming up with new methods to dupe people over and again.

The top official warned against clicking unknown electronic links that appear to be from some official agencies, such as Bahrain Post and text messages for updating Benefit programmes, bank cards or accounts.

Citizens and residents, the official stressed, should refrain from responding to such communications as banks will not request personal or banking data via a phone or other means.

"If anyone comes across such a situation, call the Economic Crimes Control Department on the hotline number: 992 to take necessary action," the Director-General added.