KUWAIT CITY, June 30: As online scammers continue to impersonate major local companies through fake social media pages, Mohammed Al-Rashidi, Head of the Cybersecurity Committee at the Electronic Media Union, has issued a renewed warning to the public.

Al-Rashidi stated that hackers are periodically active, especially during seasonal campaigns, by creating fraudulent accounts that mimic well-known brands to promote fake offers and discounts. “It is essential to ensure that you are using only official websites and mobile applications,” he stressed. “Official apps are more secure and far more difficult to impersonate.”

Al-Rashidi noted that falling victim to such scams has become increasingly common. “Once users enter their card information and complete payment through these fake platforms, the theft occurs,” he said. He also pointed out that several websites now exist to verify the safety of links, helping users distinguish between legitimate and suspicious URLs.

In a recent incident highlighting the risks, a Kuwaiti resident lost approximately 75 Kuwaiti dinars after falling for a fraudulent advertisement on Facebook. The scam began when the victim clicked on an appealing offer, which redirected him from Facebook to WhatsApp for further details. Believing the offer to be legitimate, he proceeded with the transaction, including entering his bank details and an OTP (one-time password) received via SMS.

Moments later, he noticed two unauthorized withdrawals totaling KD 75. A call from his bank followed, alerting him to unusual activity and confirming that a hacker had accessed his account. As a precaution, the bank immediately suspended the account, and the incident was reported to the relevant authorities.

Fake Zain website and payment gateway showing discount

Cybersecurity experts continue to urge the public to remain vigilant online, avoid clicking on unknown links, and double-check the legitimacy of offers, especially when they involve financial transactions.