An Asian expat has been accused of defrauding a Bahraini company owner of 15,000 dinars through a sophisticated scam involving a fake “Benefit” app update message. The victim, a 57-year-old Arab national, received a text message purportedly from “Benefit” stating that his bank card and ID details were expired and required updating. The message included a link, which the victim clicked on. The link led to a webpage requesting personal information, including bank card details and the PIN. After entering this information, the victim was asked to enter a One-Time Password (OTP) received via text message. Shortly after entering the OTP, he received a notification from his bank confirming a withdrawal of 15,000 dinars from his account. The victim immediately reported the incident to the authorities. Investigations by the Economic Crimes Department revealed that the suspect had used a stolen identity to open a bank account. He had allegedly tricked an individual into allowing him to photograph their ID and use it to open a bank account. This account was then used to carry out the fraudulent transactions and transfer the funds abroad, concealing the identity of the perpetrator. The suspect attempted to flee the country the day after the […]