Saudi Arabia blocks 22 websites involved in fraud
Sites promoted bogus apps involved in swindling and defrauding consumers
Cairo: Saudi Arabia’s commerce authorities have monitored and blocked 22 websites involved in fraud in the past three months, an official has said.
Spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce Abdulrahman Al Hussain added that the blocked sites had promoted bogus apps involved in swindling and defrauding consumers.
He warned at a media forum in Riyadh against falling victim to fraud attempts.
Saudi security authorities earlier this month said they had arrested three citizens suspected of having defrauded a commercial establishment of SR2.9 million in a false impersonation case.
Police in the capital Riyadh had arrested the trio, accusing them of committing a criminal incident through false impersonation and robbing the establishment of SR2.9 million.
After arrest, SR2.24 million and a car bought from the money were restored, the Saudi General Directorate of Public Security said.
In recent months, Saudi media reported several arrests linked to different fraud cases.
A Saudi court earlier this month sentenced a local mosque imam to a total of five years in prison on charges of fraud, harming judicial reputation and breach of mistrust, a local news portal reported.
The court in the kingdom’s northwestern region of Tabuk also ordered the defendant to pay a fine of SR55,000 to be deposited into the state treasury, Alweeam added.
Under Saudi law, fraud is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a maximum fine of SR5 million.
The penalties are tougher in cases of involvement in food adulteration.
In August, Saudi authorities busted a racket of citizens charged with making fake offers for used cars online and raking in over SR6 million in illicit gains as a result, a prosecution official said at the time.
Last month, Saudi Arabia announced setting up a prosecution branch to handle cases of financial fraud in a step aimed to fast-track related procedures.