Scams in Kuwait: the 10 most reported types, how to avoid each one and where to report

Online fraud in Kuwait keeps growing. The Interior Ministry’s Cybercrime Department said about 3,000 cybercrime cases were reported in 2024, and Ministry of Justice figures reported by Arab Times showed more than 700 electronic fraud cases in 2025 by late October, about 38% more than the year before. CITRA, the telecom regulator, now publishes monthly counts of the scam reports it receives: 172 in April 2026, 250 in May, 70 in June and 156 in July, with fake websites the largest group. No authority breaks these figures down fully by scam type, so we built a ranking from the warnings, arrests and statements published by the Interior Ministry, the Central Bank of Kuwait, CITRA, the National Cyber Security Center, ministries and the Public Prosecution between 2024 and October 2026, as reported by Arab Times, Kuwait Times and Al-Rai. The 10 types below are ranked by the authorities’ own figures and words (such as "top the list"), how many warnings were issued and how many arrests were announced. Each lists the red flags, how to protect yourself, what to do if it happened and where to report, followed by sections for the governorates.

Facts last checked on 16 October 2026.

The scams people report most, and how to avoid each one

1. Fake government messages and websites: traffic fines, Sahel, civil ID, electricity bills and "aid"

Fake websites are the biggest category in the scam reports CITRA receives: 87 of 172 reports in April 2026 and 54 of 156 in July 2026. The Interior Ministry’s Cybercrime Department said in 2025 that fake texts posing as official bodies and banks top its list, and that it has shut more than 2,300 scam websites since 2023. The ministry has warned at least six times between December 2024 and August 2026 about fake traffic-fine messages, including a January 2026 wave saying a KD 20 fine would rise to KD 200 and an August 2026 version threatening court action within 48 hours. Copies of Sahel, the civil ID (PACI) service, the electricity ministry and the Central Bank have also been flagged. In February 2026 police broke up an international network that used fake websites to defraud people in Kuwait and moved more than an estimated KD 100 million through shell companies.[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][9][10][11][17]

Reported in: Nationwide, by text, WhatsApp, social media and search results

How it works

A message says you owe a traffic fine or a bill, must update your civil ID details, or are due a refund or a payment, often with a deadline of hours. The link opens a page with government logos. You pay a small amount, the page says the payment failed, and several large deductions follow within minutes. Some victims reach the fake page by searching for a company to pay a bill.

Red flags

A fine, bill, refund or "aid" sent by text or social media
A deadline in hours or a threat that the amount will rise
A sender with a foreign number
A payment page reached from a link or a search ad
"Payment failed" right after you enter your card details

How to protect yourself

Check and pay traffic fines only in the Interior Ministry app or Sahel; the ministry says violations are sent only there
Download Sahel only from the official app stores
Open ministry and company services by typing the address yourself or using the official app, not from the top search result
Ask your bank to keep a low limit on online card payments; a 2025 Central Bank circular requires banks to let you set it

If it happened to you

Call your bank at once to block the card and dispute the deductions
Keep the message, link and screenshots of the page
Report to the Cybercrime Department and through "Aman" in Sahel

2. Calls, video calls and texts posing as the police, the Interior Ministry or your bank

The Interior Ministry warned in September 2024 that people abroad were posing as security officers on phone and video calls, and said it never deals with the public by video call or asks for bank details. In July 2025 it denied sending messages or documents demanding financial information, after callers posing as officers asked people for photos of both sides of their bank cards, and its Cybercrime Department told the public never to share a civil ID number or one-time code (OTP). Phone calls were 52 of the 156 scam reports CITRA handled in July 2026. These calls cause some of the largest reported losses: KD 37,000 from a 69-year-old in the Capital in 2025 and KD 10,995 from a man in October 2026, both after a "detective" said their account was being hacked. Police have also caught two gangs, in Farwaniya and Salmiya in 2025, that drove vehicles with equipment sending mass texts posing as banks.[35][36][37][38][39][40][41][45][42][43][44][10][11][6]

Reported in: Nationwide, mostly WhatsApp calls and video calls

How it works

A caller in a uniform-style shirt, speaking local dialect, says he is a detective, a cybercrime officer, a passport officer or bank staff. Your account is "under attack", your card is "blocked" or your data must be "updated". He may already know some of your details, which makes him sound real. He asks for your card number, PIN, OTP, civil ID or card photos, and may threaten a fine. A newer version claims money was sent to you "by mistake" and asks you to return it through a link.

Red flags

Any police, ministry or bank contact by WhatsApp or video call
A request for an OTP, PIN, CVV, civil ID number or photos of your card
Threats of a fine or arrest if you do not cooperate
"Your account is being hacked, let me protect it"
A "mistaken transfer" you are asked to send back through a link

How to protect yourself

Hang up and call your bank on the number printed on your card
Remember that Interior Ministry notices and violations come through Sahel, not WhatsApp
Never share a verification code; turn on two-step verification in WhatsApp, as the National Cyber Security Center advises
Treat a caller name shown by CITRA’s Kashef service as a helpful sign, not proof

If it happened to you

Call your bank to freeze your card and accounts
Report to the Cybercrime Department on WhatsApp 97283939
Report the number through "Aman" in Sahel

3. Fake shopping offers and "small deposit" payment links: food, meat, sheep and household goods

A senior cybercrime official said in 2024 that social-media advertisements are the main source of scams in Kuwait. The Ministry of Commerce warned in October 2024 about rising fraud through WhatsApp, unregistered numbers and fake companies. The Interior Ministry followed with warnings about heavy-discount ads from unknown sources (November 2024) and online gangs posing as sellers of fish, meat and poultry (May 2025). Case reports describe the same pattern again and again: groceries offered at a quarter of the price, fresh lamb at KD 2.5 a kilo, and a deposit of just 500 fils or KD 1 paid through a link that then empties the account. Farwaniya detectives arrested three people in 2024 for taking money for sheep that were never delivered.[16][47][46][48][49][50][82]

Reported in: Nationwide, through Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and WhatsApp

How it works

An ad offers food or goods far below the usual price. The seller says you can pay cash on delivery, but first asks for a tiny deposit to "book" the order, paid through a link. The link asks for your full card details. Instead of the deposit, your balance is taken.

Red flags

A price far below the market
"Pay on delivery, but first a small deposit"
Payment only through a link sent in a chat
An account copying a known company but with little real activity
A shop site on a free website builder or with an odd address

How to protect yourself

Order through the company’s official app or website
Never enter card details to "reserve" an order
Download shopping apps only from the official app stores, and do not pay over public Wi-Fi, as the Interior Ministry advises
Check that a social account is the verified one before you message it

If it happened to you

Call your bank to block the card
Keep the ad, the chat and the link
Report to the police and through "Aman" in Sahel

4. Fake chalet, holiday-home and travel bookings

The Interior Ministry’s Cybercrime Department named fake social-media ads for chalet rentals, using Kuwaiti phone numbers, among the most widespread scams in 2025. The Kuwait Banking Association listed fake property and holiday-home listings among the main threats to bank customers the same year, and in May 2026 the National Cyber Security Center warned travellers about fake booking sites and too-good flight deals before the holidays. Banks taking part in the Central Bank’s "Let’s Be Aware" campaign describe the typical chalet trap: photos copied from elsewhere, a low price, and a deposit demanded before you can see the place. In August 2026 a court upheld a seven-year sentence in a case where fake chalet projects sold at property exhibitions took more than KD 3 million.[11][51][14][52][53][54]

Reported in: Nationwide, peaking in summer, at weekends and before holidays

How it works

An ad shows a chalet in Khairan or a flat abroad at a tempting price. The "owner" will not meet you or let you view it, and asks for a deposit by link or transfer to hold the booking. Travel versions use websites that look like airlines or hotels and may even send a booking confirmation. After payment the advertiser stops replying.

Red flags

A price well below other chalets or flights for the same dates
A deposit demanded before any viewing or contract
No office, no meeting, only a WhatsApp number
A booking site reached from a social-media ad, with a slightly misspelled address

How to protect yourself

View the chalet or flat in person and pay against a written contract
Book travel on the airline’s or hotel’s official site or a well-known platform
Pay by credit card rather than transfer, gift card or crypto
Check reviews and how long the account has existed

If it happened to you

Call your bank at once
Keep the ad, chats, number and receipts
Report to the police and through "Aman" in Sahel

5. Investment, Telegram "quick profit" groups, fake loans and money-mule offers

The Central Bank of Kuwait has issued three public warnings in a year: about "quick loan" and "no down payment" ads that harvest personal data (November 2025), Telegram channels promising fast returns, which it said are used for fraud and money laundering and can make members legally liable (February 2026), and fake trading platforms that start with small sums and then ask for larger transfers (May 2026). The social security institution denied a fake investment programme for retirees in April 2026, and Boursa Kuwait warned of people posing as the exchange or licensed brokers. Financial-crimes officers have also warned that cross-border gangs persuade people, often students, to open bank accounts or pass on "banking links" for a commission, turning them from victims into suspects. In September 2026 police arrested a suspect over a scheme that promised 20% a month and took about KD 200,000 from around 15 people.[55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][14][3]

Reported in: Nationwide, on Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram and video platforms

How it works

An ad or group shows people "earning" from trading or a new platform, sometimes with a deepfake video of a famous person. You start small and see profits on screen, then are pushed to send more. A related trap offers easy money for letting others use your bank account, Mobile ID approval or SIM card, or for forwarding links. Loan ads promise money with no checks in return for your documents.

Red flags

Returns of 10% to 20% a month, or any "guaranteed" profit
A group where other members keep posting their gains
A request to receive and forward money or links for a small fee
A loan with no checks or down payment advertised on social media
A video of a celebrity or official promoting a platform

How to protect yourself

Check with the Central Bank whether a financial activity is licensed: 22972999 or unlicensed@cbk.gov.kw
Never lend your bank account, civil ID, SIM or Mobile ID approval to anyone
Ignore unsolicited loan and investment offers on social media
Trust only official accounts of PIFSS, Boursa Kuwait and banks

If it happened to you

Stop sending money and tell your bank
Report to the police and to the Central Bank line
Do not pay anyone who offers to recover your money for a fee

Where to report: Your bank, then the police or the Cybercrime Department (WhatsApp 97283939). To check or report an unlicensed financial activity, the Central Bank of Kuwait on 22972999 or unlicensed@cbk.gov.kw.

6. Fake domestic-worker recruiters and job offers

In August 2024 the Interior Ministry, with CITRA and the telecom companies, blocked about 392 fake websites, 52 of them posing as the Al-Durra domestic-worker recruitment company, and suspended more than 662 WhatsApp numbers, most of them claiming to be that company. A senior cybercrime official called the period when families hire domestic workers a "scam season". In January 2025 investigators sought a person who texted families offering maids for KD 85 a month and asked for KD 2 by link to "register", which captured their bank details. In May 2026 Mubarak Al-Kabeer detectives arrested a woman accused of taking advances of KD 300 to KD 500 from more than 25 citizens through an Instagram "recruitment office". In September 2026 about 25 expatriates complained to police that an agency took up to KD 2,500 each for European jobs and visas that never came.[15][16][63][64][65][86][87]

Reported in: Nationwide; peaks when families recruit domestic workers

How it works

An ad or text offers a maid or driver quickly and below the going rate, or a well-paid job abroad with a visa. The "office" exists only on Instagram or WhatsApp, sends official-looking contracts and photos, and asks for a registration fee by link or an advance by transfer. Then it blocks you.

Red flags

A domestic worker offered well below normal fees
A "registration" payment by link
A recruiter you can reach only on social media
A foreign job and visa "guaranteed" for a large fee

How to protect yourself

Use a licensed recruitment office you can visit, and pay at the office against a receipt
Type the address of a recruitment company’s site yourself; do not use links from ads or search results
Apply for foreign visas only through the embassy or its approved visa centre
Never pay a "registration" link

If it happened to you

Call your bank if you paid by card or link
Keep the account name, number, contract and receipts
Report to the police or the Cybercrime Department
Workers with a complaint against an employer or recruiter can also go to the Public Authority for Manpower

Where to report: Your bank first if money is involved, so it can try to freeze the transfer. Then the Interior Ministry Cybercrime Department on WhatsApp 97283939 or the nearest police station. 112 in an emergency. Report the number, message or link through the "Aman" service in the Sahel app. Complaints against an employer: the Public Authority for Manpower, through the Labour Relations unit for the company’s file or the As'hal Manpower service; labour violations through Report Me in Sahel.

7. Fake police and fake inspectors in person

Police have reported a steady stream of street robberies by men posing as detectives, almost always against expatriate workers. Cases between 2024 and 2026 come from Hawalli, Khaitan, Farwaniya, Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, Mutlaa City, Ahmadi and Fintas, where in August 2026 two men robbed a worker at gunpoint. One man arrested in 2026 was linked to 10 robberies in Jleeb, Khaitan and Farwaniya, and police said some victims may not have reported because the sums were small or they feared approaching a station. Others pose as officials: in June 2026 Salmiya detectives arrested four men who pretended to be Ministry of Commerce inspectors and "confiscated" cigarettes and goods from shops in several governorates.[66][67][68][69][70][71][72][2]

Reported in: Mostly Hawalli, Farwaniya, Jahra and Ahmadi governorates, on streets, near banks and in shops

How it works

A man in plain clothes or a dishdasha, often in a dark SUV, stops you and says he is a detective. He asks for your ID or wallet "for inspection", may claim a drug check, then takes your cash, phone or cards and drives off. Fake inspectors walk into a shop, announce a surprise inspection and take goods as "violations".

Red flags

A plain-clothes "officer" who will not show official ID or rushes you
A demand for your wallet, cash or phone rather than your civil ID
A "drug check" on the street with no police car
"Inspectors" who take goods away without official paperwork

How to protect yourself

Ask to see official ID; security sources say detectives must show it and give you time to check it
Show your civil ID on the Kuwait Mobile ID app or card but do not hand over your wallet or phone
Stay in a public place and call 112 if you are unsure
Shop owners can ask inspectors for identification and call the ministry before handing anything over

If it happened to you

Call 112 at once and describe the person and vehicle
Block any bank cards that were taken
File a report at the nearest police station even if the amount is small

Where to report: 112 in an emergency, then the nearest police station.

8. Parcel and delivery messages

The Central Bank of Kuwait told the public in June 2026 not to click links or reply to messages about undelivered parcels or shipment checks, because they are used to steal personal and financial data. In August 2026 CITRA warned iPhone users about iMessage texts posing as shipping companies and asking them to update delivery details or pay a fee.[73][74]

Reported in: Nationwide, by text, iMessage and WhatsApp

How it works

A message says a parcel is waiting, the address is incomplete or a small customs or delivery fee is due. The link opens a courier-style page that asks for card details.

Red flags

A parcel you were not expecting
A small fee to release a delivery
A link in a text instead of a tracking number you can check yourself

How to protect yourself

Track parcels only in the courier’s official app or website
Delete the message and report it as junk, as CITRA advises
Never enter card details on a page opened from a delivery text

If it happened to you

Call your bank to block the card
Report the message through "Aman" in Sahel

9. Fake charity accounts and misused donations

Official bodies keep finding accounts that copy them to collect money. In March 2025 the Ministry of Social Affairs found a fake Instagram account using its name and its Gharimeen (debt relief) campaign to collect donations and break into donors’ accounts, and took legal action. In March 2026 Zakat House said it has no official Snapchat account and that links or numbers shared outside its official channels are not its own. In October 2026 the Interior Ministry arrested five people after a company allegedly used a charity project’s website and phone number, without the charity’s knowledge, to collect donated clothes, furniture and food and sell them.[75][76][77]

Reported in: Nationwide; appeals rise in Ramadan and after disasters abroad

How it works

An account with a charity’s or ministry’s logo posts an urgent appeal, often for debtors, the sick or victims of war, with a link or a personal number for transfers. The money or goods never reach the cause, and card details entered on the link may be stolen.

Red flags

A charity account on a platform where the charity says it has no presence
Transfers to a personal account or phone number
A donation link sent in a private message
Pressure to give immediately

How to protect yourself

Give only through a charity’s or ministry’s verified account, official website or app
Check the account name exactly; the fake ministry account differed by one character
Hand in-kind donations to the charity itself, not to a third party who calls on its behalf

If it happened to you

Call your bank if you paid by card or link
Report the account to the charity or ministry and to the police

10. Online blackmail and sextortion, including children in online games

The Interior Ministry ran a school-year campaign in 2024 against electronic blackmail and said primary and middle-school pupils are the most targeted, often through online games that let strangers chat with them. It said it had handled many defamation and extortion cases over three years, mostly for money. Detectives arrested a gang in October 2024 that lured men through a profile posing as a young woman and then threatened them. In April 2025 the Cybercrime Department reported many attempts to hack home surveillance cameras and reminded the public that sharing such footage is a crime.[78][79][80][44][1]

Reported in: Nationwide, on social media, messaging apps and online games

How it works

A friendly stranger, or a profile posing as a young woman, builds trust and asks for private photos or a video call. The images are recorded and the victim is told to pay or they will be sent to family or posted. Children may be asked for photos inside a game chat. Hacked cameras or accounts can also be used for threats.

Red flags

A new contact who moves quickly to private photos or video
A stranger in a game asking a child to move to another app
A demand for money with a deadline and threats to expose you

How to protect yourself

Do not send private images to anyone you have not met
Parents should check which games and apps their children use and who they talk to
Change default camera passwords, turn on two-factor authentication and keep cameras out of private rooms

If it happened to you

Do not pay; payment usually brings more demands
Keep the messages, usernames and payment requests
Report to the Cybercrime Department on WhatsApp 97283939; reports are confidential

Where to report: Interior Ministry Cybercrime Department on WhatsApp 97283939 (confidential), or the nearest police station. 112 in an emergency.

City by city

Kuwait City and the Capital Governorate

No official source gives a fraud figure for the Capital on its own. Police and prosecution reports from the governorate show the national scams, including some of the largest losses: a resident in his late 60s lost KD 37,000 to a fake detective call in 2025, and about 15 people reported losing nearly KD 200,000 to a "20% a month" scheme handled at Sharq police station in 2026.[38][32][62][65][40][82]

Capital investigators arrested three people for stealing card data through fake government websites (April 2025)
Fake bank-employee call that emptied an account, reported at Al-Shamiya (March 2025)
Fake restaurant site that charged KD 226 for a KD 2.3 meal (June 2025)
Complaints from about 25 expatriates over paid European job offers (September 2026, under investigation)