Fake Cybercrime Officer Tricks Kuwaiti Citizen, Steals KD 10,995 in Five Bank Deductions

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 12: A phone call from a man claiming to be a Cybercrime Department officer ended in a costly nightmare for a Kuwaiti citizen born in 1959, who lost KD 10,995 after falling victim to an elaborate banking scam involving five unauthorized deductions.

According to a security source, the victim received a call from an unidentified person believed to be of Arab nationality who spoke fluent Kuwaiti dialect and introduced himself as a detective. The caller claimed that the citizen’s bank account had been hacked and offered to protect his money by arranging a replacement bank card.

Despite the victim insisting that his account had not been compromised, the caller maintained that he possessed the bank details and was trying to prevent the theft of his funds. To gain the citizen’s confidence, he recited the account information, correctly confirming the details and making his claims appear genuine.

The deception worked. The victim later discovered that five transactions had been carried out without his knowledge or authorization, draining KD 10,995 from his account. A call that appeared to offer protection had instead resulted in a substantial financial loss.

Following the complaint, the Public Prosecution requested that the case be registered as a felony and assigned the Criminal Investigation Department to identify the caller, establish how the money was transferred and arrest those involved.

Authorities warned the public against trusting callers who claim to represent banks or security agencies and request banking information, card details or verification codes. Citizens were urged never to disclose such information over the phone and to verify suspicious calls directly with their banks or the relevant authorities.