Fake cop defrauds Kuwaiti of $120,000

Cairo: An anonymous thief, posing as an anti-fraud police officer, swindled an elderly Kuwaiti out of his entire bank balance, amounting to KD37,000 (around $120,000).

The thief had called the unsuspecting man, a resident of Kuwait City, and claimed that others were trying to hack his bank account, and that as a detective he was trying to help him, Kuwaiti newspaper Al Anba reported.

The 69-year-old victim consequently provided the caller with his bank account details and other information, enabling the thief to seize his money.

“I provided the caller with my card number, as well as the PIN and the OTP number I received from the bank, “ a security source quoted the victim as saying.

“My balance was reduced to zero through a banking transaction, and I received a message on my mobile phone saying, ‘Your balance is 4 dinars.’”

Investigations into the case are underway.

Another security source reiterated that neither local banks nor police officers contact bank customers to request information or block alleged hacking into accounts.

In February, Kuwait announced foiling large-scale cyberattacks targeting telecommunication towers and banks in the country.

The Kuwaiti Interior Ministry said an international ring of Chinese nationals had been arrested over involvement in the attacks.

The case surfaced after authorities had received reports from some telecommunications companies and banks that their networks were subjected to cyberattacks.

There has been a rise in fraud cases in Kuwait despite repeated warnings from authorities to citizens and expatriates to be on guard against potential fraudsters and their ruse, Al Qabas newspaper has recently quoted what it termed as a well-informed source.

Cases related to real-estate scams top the swindle list, followed by phantom investment deals inside Kuwait or abroad, and fraud linked to luxury car purchases.