Police Warn: Sharing Your PIN Could Cost You Thousands

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Lose BD 1,000 while your card is in your wallet! Keep your Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) to yourself. That’s how you avoid money withdrawal. Hidd Police Station Head Colonel Dr. Osama Bahar was speaking on the Interior Ministry’s Al Aman social media program, where he highlighted a recent case involving a Bahraini citizen who lost a substantial amount of money.

Col. Dr. Bahar has urged people to keep their PIN strictly confidential, warning that sharing it even with trusted individuals like family members may sometimes lead to unauthorised access to accounts, unauthorised withdrawals, and significant financial loss. The warning comes amid a rise in cases reported to police involving money being withdrawn from bank accounts; surprisingly, the card was still in the victim's wallet when he lost BD 1,000.

“A citizen filed a case stating that several amounts of money had been withdrawn from his bank card at different locations across Bahrain,” he said. “This makes identifying the suspect very difficult.”

Col. Dr. Bahar stressed that the primary cause in such cases is the disclosure of PINs, whether intentionally or unknowingly. “To prevent this from happening, people must never share their PIN with anyone, no matter who it is,” he said. “If you believe you have shared your PIN with someone for any reason, you should change it immediately.”

He warned that unauthorised withdrawals are not always the result of strangers. In other cases, criminals rely on deceptive methods to obtain PINs, such as observing victims at ATMs or point-of-sale terminals.

“Once the PIN is known, the card may be stolen later through pickpocketing or theft, allowing criminals to carry out unauthorised transactions,” he explained.

Col. Dr. Bahar also cautioned against scams in which fraudsters pose as bank employees, claiming they need the PIN for ‘verification’ or a ‘security update.’ He advised anyone who suspects fraud to immediately contact their bank to block the card or change the PIN and then file a police report. Crimes related to electronic fraud should also be reported without delay via the cybercrime hotline on 992.