Scamsters continue to target people in Bahrain through different fraudulent schemes on social media such as taking advance deposits for concert tickets or selling abayas.
Hidd Police Station’s head Colonel Dr Osama Bahar said yesterday that people in Bahrain should be extra careful of fraudsters who continue to target vulnerable groups.
“Criminals are still out there targeting you, please do not be one of their victims,” he said on the Interior Ministry’s Al Aman social media programme yesterday.
He said despite repeated awareness messages, they continue to see people paying money for products they saw on fake social media accounts.
Another warning about a man posing as a policeman and asking for personal details from an individual
“Do not be someone who pays a deposit to rent a swimming pool based only on a photo or video on TikTok or Instagram.”
“There are also those who pay a deposit to buy or reserve a car or place orders for custom-made furniture sold through the above social media platforms.
“The same applies to abayas, and even camping tents.
“The list will not end if you rely only on photos from an account.”
The GDN reported in April that more than 50 Bahrainis were targeted by online fraudsters hoping to take advantage of their adherence to official instructions in the wake of the ongoing Iran attacks.
A fraudulent text message impersonating an alert from the Electricity and Water Authority
The scammers masqueraded as ministry officials and, when links were followed, browsers were locked until a ‘penalty fee’ had been paid by the victims.
There are daily fraudulent text messages being circulated claiming that recipients have been fined for traffic violations, or that they have to pay for courier charges.
In addition, authorities highlighted a growing trend of scammers using artificial intelligence (AI) to produce fake news clips that claim individuals are recommending investing in ‘profitable’ ventures. These scams often involve impersonation of well-known public figures or government officials to gain victims’ trust.
Officials confirmed that no such investment opportunities exist and warned that the sole intention of these schemes is to steal money from unsuspecting victims.
“There are some things that you need to verify in person or by phone directly to protect yourself,” added Col Dr Bahar.
“If you think our awareness messages are repeated, let me remind you that people are losing money today to fake accounts – money that would have been better spent on their children and families.”
Col Dr Bahar
Contact the General Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security, either by calling the 992 hotline, by sending a message on WhatsApp at 17108108, or by filling in a form on acees.gov.bh
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