Two Asian men on trial in Bahrain for smishing businessman

TDT | Manama                                                                  

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The High Criminal Court of Bahrain began hearing a case involving two Asian men accused of defrauding a businessman out of BD994 by posing as telecom officials.

According to court files, the defendants initially sent a message to the businessman, posing as a service provider, and falsely claimed that he needed to update his SIM information to avoid his connection being terminated.

The victim promptly followed the instructions. However, within minutes, he received messages notifying him of unauthorised withdrawals from his bank account. Upon filing a complaint, investigators uncovered a network of fraudulent activities orchestrated by the first suspect.

It was revealed that the embezzled money had been funnelled into the account of the main perpetrator, who operated the scam network. Additionally, the second defendant played a crucial role by recruiting individuals and utilising their bank accounts to receive the illicitly obtained funds.

As the trial proceeds, the case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of remaining vigilant and cautious when dealing with suspicious messages and requests for personal information.