KUWAIT CITY, Jan 25: In a chilling reminder of how far scammers will go to exploit the vulnerable, two elderly women in Al-Ahmadi Governorate fell prey to fraudsters posing as government and banking officials — losing a total of nearly 4,400 Kuwaiti dinars.

Despite repeated public warnings against sharing personal or banking details with anyone claiming to be from official institutions, the criminals struck with precision during the morning hours — a time when many elderly citizens are alone, and their children are away at work.

According to a security source, the first victim, a woman in her sixties, received a call from a man claiming to represent a local bank. Using a polished, authoritative tone, he warned her of an “attempted theft” on her account and urged her to provide her card details so he could “protect her funds.” Moments later, a flood of messages lit up her phone — more than 3,000 dinars had vanished through multiple transactions before she realized she’d been deceived.

In a separate incident, another retired woman was contacted by a caller pretending to be a representative from the Ministry of Commerce. Through similar manipulation and false urgency, he obtained her banking information and withdrew over 1,400 dinars from her account.

Both cases have now been referred to the Commercial Affairs Prosecution, as authorities intensify efforts to trace the culprits and recover the stolen money.

A security source stressed that neither the Ministry of Interior nor any bank or government body ever requests card numbers or PIN codes over the phone. The Ministry is urging the public to remain vigilant, avoid engaging with suspicious callers, and promptly report any attempted scams.

The Cybercrime Department continues to issue awareness campaigns warning citizens of evolving fraud tactics, emphasizing that prevention begins with skepticism — because no legitimate official will ever ask for sensitive banking information.

As investigations continue, this latest scam serves as a stark warning that phone fraud has evolved beyond simple trickery — it now preys on trust, fear, and isolation, leaving heartbreak and financial loss in its wake.