Ramadan charity scams surge online as Bahrain's unsuspecting targeted

TDT | Manama                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Report by Ashen Tharaka

Ramadan is the time when the virtue of kindness travels far and wide. Unfortunately, it has also become a time when scammers target the virtuous and make victims out of the kindhearted through dubious online scams, including in Bahrain.

Ramadan Charity Scams

Most versions of the scam involve kind-hearted citizens and residents who are looking for options to make charity donations during the holy month.

People are lured in through advertisements on social media platforms to make donations to provide water bottles in bulk to the needy.

Along with the advertisements, people are asked to get in touch on WhatsApp at the numbers given.

Once the payment is done, bank or card details are stolen, and the accounts are emptied!

Ali Beshara, a cybersecurity expert with 20 years of experience, confirmed to The Daily Tribune that people are being scammed in the Kingdom in the name of charity donations towards providing water bottles and revealed details of the recent incidents that have Bahraini citizens or residents as victims.

“They offered the victims five cartons of water bottles, promising two additional cartons for free. Then they sent a link for payment, which they used to steal all their bank details. One victim lost BD2,000, and another lost BD4,000.” Beshara said.

Air Fryer Scam

Another scam that has gained notoriety during Ramadan is the air fryer scam.

The scammers use social media to post posts stating that the user will stand a chance to win an air fryer if they buy a carton of chicken from them.

Users are lured to make a payment of one Bahraini dinar online towards confirmation. Once this transaction is made by clicking the link sent by the scammers, the card details of the users are stolen, the expert revealed.

High-paying Job Scam

Capitalising on the sad plight of those looking for lucrative jobs, scamsters are targeting people by offering high-paying online jobs that involve minimal work.

The General Directorate of Anti-Corruption, Economic, and Electronic Security (ACEES) has asked the public to verify the identity of those offering such jobs and accept them only if they are legitimate. Person information should not be shared with those offering such jobs if the firm or persons offering such jobs are found to be illegitimate, ACEES said.

In case any scammer was able to trick you into sharing the code or one-time password for your bank application or e-wallet, the fastest way to avoid the scam is to remove the application from the phone and reinstall it, the advisory said.

“It is better to refrain from providing any sensitive details related to your personal bank accounts to another party.” Ali Beshara said.

Fake Marriage Scam

Those looking for love are also being scammed, with online postings offering opportunities to marry women by showing videos of attractive girls.

Victims are lured by high incentives for marrying the girl they like from the videos and are made to share personal information in the name of registering for the marriage.

The personal information is then used to hack into the victim’s bank account. ACEES has issued a statement cautioning the public against falling for such fake marriage scams.

Vaccination Scam

A high number of citizens and residents in the Kingdom are getting WhatsApp and regular calls from people claiming to be from Bahrain International Airport, asking them to update their vaccination details.

Many of these calls originate from outside the country, and people are being threatened that they will not be able to travel if they don’t update their vaccination status by clicking on the link they send on WhatsApp.

“The scammer stated that my vaccination information was not updated in the airport’s database and offered a link for processing.

He sent a link to my phone via SMS, which potentially led to my bank accounts. I deleted the message without clicking and disconnected the call,” a reader told The Daily Tribune.

ACEES is running a hotline to report cyber crimes and can be reached by dialling 992 from your phone or on WhatsApp at +973 17108108.