Online Phone Ad Scam Costs Kuwait Shopper 200 Dinars: What to Do

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⏱ 2 min read

You spot a smartphone online, a good model, a price that seems almost too fair. You message the seller, share a few details to “confirm” the deal, and move on with your day. Then you check your bank balance and 200 dinars are simply gone.

That’s exactly what happened to an Arab woman in Kuwait recently, and her case is now sitting with a police station as a registered financial crime. If you buy or sell anything through online ads, her experience is worth five minutes of your time.

⚡ The short version

A woman responded to an online ad for smartphones and shared her personal and banking details with the seller.
200 dinars was later withdrawn from her bank account without her knowledge or consent.
She filed a complaint with the Banking Affairs Prosecution, which referred the case to Hadiya Police Station.
The case has been registered as a financial crime involving alleged forgery of a bank document, and investigations are ongoing.

What actually happened

According to a security source, the woman came across an advertisement offering modern smartphones at what looked like a reasonable price. She contacted the person behind the ad to arrange the purchase and, as part of the deal, handed over her personal and banking information.

She later noticed that 200 dinars had left her account. She told authorities the transaction was carried out without her knowledge or approval. That’s when she approached the Banking Affairs Prosecution directly to file a formal complaint.

The prosecution passed the matter to Hadiya Police Station, where it is now registered as a case involving alleged forgery of a bank document. No verdict has been reached, and the investigation is still active, so nothing about the seller’s identity or guilt has been confirmed yet.

Who this affects

Anyone who buys or sells through classified ads, Instagram shops, WhatsApp groups or Telegram channels in Kuwait should take note. This isn’t limited to one nationality or one type of buyer. Both citizens and expats use these informal marketplaces daily for phones, electronics, furniture and clothes, and the same trick can work on anyone who shares banking details with a stranger to