Report any fraud to the Cybercrime on 97283939.

One phone number could save you hundreds of dinars: 97283939, Kuwait’s Cybercrime Department hotline.

Kuwait police say online fraud is getting more common, and the tricks keep changing. A senior security official laid out exactly how scammers operate right now, and where most people in Kuwait are losing money. This comes as the site reported on 7 November about scammers using fake police and fake bank staff on video calls, so this latest warning fits a pattern of fraud alerts in recent weeks.

Why booking scams are the biggest problem right now

According to the official, scammers target people searching online for places to stay, especially chalets and hotels for weekend trips. These fake sites copy the look of real, well-known tourism businesses. A visitor searching for a getaway might land on a site that looks legitimate, pay a deposit or full amount, and only later find out the business never existed or never received the payment.

This kind of scam spikes around holidays, when more people in Kuwait are booking last-minute trips and chalets for family or friends. The pressure to grab a good deal before it’s gone is exactly what makes people skip the normal checks they’d otherwise do.

It’s not just travel bookings

The same warning covers buying and selling on social media. Scammers post ads for products that don’t exist, take the buyer’s payment, and disappear. The buyer only realises something is wrong when the item never arrives and the seller’s account goes quiet or vanishes.

Car sales get a special mention. Police say fraudsters list vehicles at prices clearly below what they’re worth in the market, specifically to tempt buyers into paying a deposit to