‘Online payment scams now most common cybercrime in Kuwait’
In December alone, around 2,540 fraud reports were recorded. Between January and May 2025, nearly KD 1 million in stolen funds were recovered or frozen.
Lieutenant Colonel Ammar Al-Sarraf, Head of the Support Services Department at the Ministry of Interior’s Cybercrime Combating Department, said the department is intensifying efforts to detect increasingly sophisticated cyber scams.
These include fraudulent payment links and fake websites designed to infiltrate users’ devices, steal personal data, and drain bank accounts, reports Al-Rai daily.
Al-Sarraf stated that cyber fraud now ranks as the most common crime handled by the department, particularly schemes involving fake messages and payment links that impersonate official or financial institutions.
Over the past year alone, the department investigated more than 3,000 cybercrime cases. These ranged from fraudulent advertisements and counterfeit online stores to fake payment portals.
In just the past month, 164 new cases were registered, involving charges such as breaching public order, harming individual dignity, and violating public morals.
He explained that scammers continue to develop increasingly creative methods to trick victims, even in cash-on-delivery transactions. For instance, fraudsters often send fake links requesting a small delivery fee, and once a victim enters their bank details, their accounts are compromised and funds are stolen.
To combat such threats, Al-Sarraf highlighted the role of the virtual “Aman Room”, a collaborative security system involving Kuwaiti banks, the Public Prosecution, and the Anti-Money Laundering Crimes Department. This system operates 24/7, receiving fraud alerts directly from banks and immediately freezing funds in suspicious accounts.
Since its activation, the Aman Room has successfully safeguarded more than 4 million dinars belonging to citizens and residents.
In December alone, around 2,540 fraud reports were recorded. Between January and May 2025, nearly KD 1 million in stolen funds were recovered or frozen.
Al-Sarraf urged the public to remain vigilant, avoid clicking on unfamiliar links, and verify the authenticity of any message requesting personal or financial information.
