SIM card fraud leads to BHD 2,490 bank theft case

The Criminal High Court has scheduled May 16 to consider an objection filed by a man in his thirties against a default judgment sentencing him to three years in prison and a fine of BHD 3,000.

According to court documents, the 36-year-old defendant is accused of exploiting a limited power of attorney granted by a 42-year-old Gulf businessman to handle administrative matters related to his company in Bahrain. The authorization did not include any financial powers or permission to access the victim’s mobile number.

Prosecutors say the defendant used the documents to obtain a replacement SIM card in the victim’s name from a telecommunications company while the businessman was abroad. Although company policy requires the account holder to be present, the request was processed after the defendant presented the authorization papers.

Once the SIM card was activated, the defendant allegedly received one-time banking verification codes linked to the victim’s accounts. He is accused of using these to access the “Benefit” payment application and carry out two unauthorised transfers totalling BHD 2,490—one to his own account and another to his daughter’s account.

The victim reportedly discovered the issue after his SIM card stopped working while overseas. On returning to Bahrain, he later found that funds were missing from his bank account after being informed of suspicious transactions by his bank.

A telecom employee testified that the defendant had requested the replacement SIM using official documents. A compliance officer also told investigators that system logs confirmed activation and the completion of two transfers using verification codes sent to the same mobile number.

Banking records identified the defendant and his daughter as the recipients of the transferred funds. The case remains under review pending the court’s final ruling.