KUWAIT CITY , March 27: In a sudden turn of events, an Egyptian national lost a staggering 2,750 dinars due to a fraudulent online transaction while attempting to pay his phone bill, reports Al-Rai daily. Recounting the ordeal Sayed Abdel Hakim, aged 30, shared the harrowing experience, stating, “I was in the process of arranging my phone bill payment, amounting to 50 dinars, and turned to a search on the renowned search engine, Google. I stumbled upon a website resembling the official platform of my service provider. It bore the company’s logo and colors, convincing me of its authenticity.”

Hakim proceeded to enter his debit card details along with the OTP (One-Time Password) sent to his phone. To his dismay, a notification swiftly followed, confirming the withdrawal of his entire balance, totaling 2,750 dinars. He expressed, “I had been nurturing dreams of accumulating savings for a summer trip with my wife and son, whom I haven’t seen for two years. It’s disheartening to realize that not only have my aspirations been shattered, but I’m also burdened with the impending phone bill.” Upon realization of the grave situation, Hakim promptly contacted his bank to report the incident, leading to the immediate suspension of his account. He issued a cautionary note to others, advising against conducting electronic transactions on unverified websites. He stressed the importance of utilizing authorized platforms to prevent falling victim to regrettable circumstances similar to his own.