The scams people report most, and how to avoid each one
1. Fake government platforms, banks and officials asking for codes
This is the scam the most Saudi bodies warn about. In January 2025 Riyadh Police arrested nine people who ran fake links copying a government agency, taking about SR394,000 in 33 incidents across several regions. In 2026 Absher warned about cloned login pages, and the Ministry of Commerce warned about fake websites that show up in search results offering to take consumer complaints. ZATCA has warned about fake tax and customs "refund" messages. The anti-fraud prosecution says every case it has recorded came from victims’ own data being exploited, not from hacked government systems.[1][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][43]
Reported in: Riyadh and nationwide
How it works
A text, call, email or search ad looks like it comes from Absher, a ministry, ZATCA, your bank or an embassy. It says your card is suspended, you are owed a refund, a service needs "updating", or a complaint needs details. You are sent to a lookalike page or asked to read out the code you just received. With your Absher, Nafath or bank code, the criminals take over your accounts.
Red flags
- Any request for an Absher, Nafath or bank verification code
- A website that does not end in .gov.sa for a government service
- A "refund", "complaint" or "service update" page found through an ad or a link
- A bank contacting you on WhatsApp, which Saudi banks were told to stop using with customers in 2025
How to protect yourself
- Use Absher only through absher.sa or its official app
- File consumer complaints only through 1900 or the Ministry of Commerce app
- Never read out or forward a verification code, whoever asks
- Call your bank on the number on your card or in its app
If it happened to you
- Call your bank at once to block cards and stop transfers
- Change your Absher, Nafath and banking passwords
- Report through Kollona Amn or the police, and for bank-card fraud through Absher’s financial fraud reports
Where to report: Kollona Amn app, 911 (Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, Eastern) or 999 elsewhere, or Absher financial fraud reports. Fraud texts: forward to 330330.
2. Hajj and Umrah scams: fake campaigns, permits and sacrifice vouchers
This is the scam with the most arrests announced in 2025 and 2026. Officials said more than 217 fake Hajj campaigns were dismantled across the Kingdom in the 2026 season. Police in Makkah alone announced arrests almost every few days in April and May 2026, including 18 people who forged residency permits, Nusuk cards and Hajj wristbands. The Interior Ministry lists the offers to ignore: housing and transport in the holy sites, Hajj performed on your behalf, sacrificial animals and Hajj bracelets sold on social media.[11][12][13][14][15][16]
Reported in: Makkah and Madinah above all; ads also traced to Riyadh, Qassim and Asir
How it works
An ad on X, Snapchat, TikTok or WhatsApp sells a Hajj package, a permit to enter Makkah, a Nusuk card, a wristband or an Adahi voucher, often for less than official packages. You pay a transfer and receive nothing, or a forged document that gets you turned back.
Red flags
- Hajj packages or permits sold on social media
- Hajj offered on a visit, tourist or Umrah visa
- Adahi or Hady vouchers sold by individuals
- Cards or wristbands sold separately from an official package
How to protect yourself
- Book domestic Hajj only through masar.nusuk.sa or the Nusuk app
- International pilgrims go through authorised entities on the official platform
- Buy Adahi only from the official Adahi project (adahi.org) or Nusuk
- Check a campaign’s licence on the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah website
If it happened to you
- Keep the ad, the account and the transfer receipt
- Report to the police and ask your bank to try to recall the transfer
Where to report: 911 in Makkah and Madinah, Kollona Amn, or the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on 1966 (inside the Kingdom).
3. Fake online stores, counterfeit gold and below-market cars
In April 2025 a man was jailed for five years after selling products that did not exist to 41 buyers online and blocking each one after payment. In August 2025 the Ministry of Commerce blocked a foreign online store that sold gold-plated copper as gold bullion at half the market price. In Makkah, a 10-person gang linked to about 31 crimes and more than SR2.8 million showed real gold to win trust and then handed over painted metal. Riyadh Police also arrested people running fake platforms that offered cars they did not own below market price.[17][18][19][20][10]
Reported in: Nationwide; cases in Riyadh and Makkah
How it works
A store, sponsored post or social media seller offers gold, phones, cars or brand goods well below the market. You transfer money to a personal account, and the seller blocks you, delivers a fake, or never delivers.
Red flags
- Gold, phones or cars at around half price
- Payment by transfer to a personal account only
- No commercial registration or e-commerce documentation
- A "season sale" site copying a known store’s name, often around National Day or Ramadan
How to protect yourself
- Check an online store through the e-commerce documentation enquiry on the Saudi Business Center
- Buy gold from licensed shops and inspect it before paying
- Never share the OTP sent to complete a payment you did not start
If it happened to you
- Ask your bank to dispute or recall the payment
- Report to the Ministry of Commerce on 1900 and to the police
Where to report: Ministry of Commerce 1900 or its complaints app; Kollona Amn or the police.
4. "Quick wealth" investment, trading and crypto offers
The head of the anti-fraud prosecution named rapid investment and instant wealth among the most common lures. In December 2024 a Riyadh gang posing as businessmen promised high returns from digital currency and property, lured investors to meetings and robbed them of SR1.3 million. The Saudi Banks "Khallik Harees" campaign singled out fake investment websites.[1][21][39][22]
Reported in: Riyadh and nationwide
How it works
An ad, a celebrity-style video or a stranger on WhatsApp shows big profits from trading, crypto or property. A small first deposit seems to grow. You are pushed to deposit more, and withdrawals are blocked until you pay a "fee".
Red flags
- Guaranteed or very fast returns
- Endorsements by famous people or "officials"
- A platform that is not on the CMA list of Authorised Persons
- Fees demanded before you can withdraw
How to protect yourself
- Check that the firm is a Capital Market Authority Authorised Person before paying
- Never meet strangers with cash for an "investment"
- Ignore investment tips from people you do not know
If it happened to you
- Stop paying immediately
- Report to the police with the platform name, accounts and receipts
- Contracts with unauthorised persons can be raised with the Committee for the Resolution of Securities Disputes
Where to report: Kollona Amn or the police; check firms on the Capital Market Authority website.
5. Your data used to buy goods, take loans or move money
In October 2026 Riyadh Police broke up a nine-person network, linked to a group abroad, that used victims’ data to buy gold bars and phones from online stores and send the proceeds out of the country. Police seized 35 bank cards, 30 phones and gold, and illegal transfers passed SR200,000. In April 2024 Riyadh Police seized more than SR8 million from four people posing as service providers.[23][24][1]
Reported in: Riyadh and nationwide
How it works
Once criminals have your ID details and a verification code, they log in as you, add beneficiaries, buy goods in your name or open finance. Some networks also recruit people to lend their bank cards and accounts to move the money.
Red flags
- Purchases, finance or new accounts you did not open
- An offer to pay you for "using" your bank account or card
- A code arriving for a login or payment you did not start
How to protect yourself
- Never share Absher, Nafath or bank codes
- Lower the default transfer and purchase limits in your bank app
- Never lend your card, account or ID to anyone
If it happened to you
- Call your bank to freeze the account and cards
- Check Absher and your bank for activity you did not make
- Report through Absher’s financial fraud reports and Kollona Amn
Where to report: Your bank, then Absher financial fraud reports or Kollona Amn.
6. Fake charity, aid and "you have been selected" offers
The Saudi Banks media committee said in December 2024 that it had seen an increase in people posing as charities, public figures or lawyers on social media and messaging apps. They send fake documents and seals and charge a "fee" to release aid. The committee says official bodies do not look for beneficiaries through social media and never charge a fee or ask you to add a beneficiary or pay a bill to receive a donation.[25][10]
Reported in: Nationwide
How it works
A message says you qualify for financial aid, a grant or a donation. To receive it you must pay a fee, add a beneficiary, pay a bill or share a code. The aid never comes.
Red flags
- Aid that requires you to pay first
- A stamped "official" letter sent on WhatsApp
- A request to add a beneficiary or pay a bill to receive money
How to protect yourself
- Apply for support only through official platforms
- Pay official bills only through SADAD
- Give to charity only through licensed channels
If it happened to you
- Stop contact and keep the messages
- Report to Kollona Amn or the police
Where to report: Kollona Amn or the police.
7. Fake rentals and property deals
In August 2025 Riyadh Police arrested five people who posted fake rental listings on social media and took deposits for flats that did not exist. In June 2026 the Real Estate General Authority (REGA) warned against unlicensed agents and ads without an advertising licence number. In December 2025 a court gave final sentences to an 11-member ring that sold property using forged title deeds and took about SR40 million.[28][29][30]
Reported in: Riyadh and nationwide
How it works
A flat or house is advertised below market. The "owner" is abroad or busy and asks for a deposit or commission before any viewing or contract. In bigger cases, buyers are shown forged deeds.
Red flags
- A deposit asked for before a viewing or an Ejar contract
- No REGA advertising licence number on the ad
- Rent far below similar listings
- A request to transfer to an unknown account
How to protect yourself
- Check the agent’s licence and the ad licence on REGA’s platform before paying
- Sign and pay rent through Ejar
- Verify ownership through official channels before buying
If it happened to you
- Ask your bank to recall the transfer
- Report the ad and the account to the police
Where to report: 911 or 999, Kollona Amn, or the police station.
8. Fake jobs, visas and domestic worker recruitment
In September 2026 the Ministry of Human Resources (HRSD) caught 10 businesses, including websites and apps, offering recruitment or labour services without a licence, with fines of up to SR250,000, and told the public to recruit domestic workers only through Musaned. The Ministry of Tourism warned of fake job sites using its name to collect "medical exam fees" and bank details, and a Riyadh gang was arrested in 2025 for falsely promising labour visas.[26][27][10][39][44][45]
Reported in: Riyadh and nationwide
How it works
A job, visa or domestic worker is offered on social media or WhatsApp. You are asked for a fee for a medical, visa or file, or for your bank card, Absher or Nafath code "to complete the contract".
Red flags
- A fee to apply, for a medical or for a visa
- A job offered on WhatsApp when you never applied
- An interview that asks for bank or Absher details
- A domestic worker deposit paid outside Musaned
How to protect yourself
- Recruit domestic workers only through Musaned
- Saudi job seekers can use Jadarat, the national employment platform
- Under the Labor Law the employer pays recruitment, residence and work permit fees for non-Saudi workers
If it happened to you
- Stop paying and keep every message and receipt
- Report to the police; report unlicensed recruiters to HRSD
- Foreign workers can also file a labour complaint with HRSD on 19911 or through Qiwa; domestic workers use Musaned
Where to report: Kollona Amn or the police; HRSD for unlicensed recruitment and labour complaints, on 19911, its website or Qiwa; domestic workers through Musaned.
9. Fake Saudi Post (SPL) parcel messages
Saudi Post warned twice in 2025 about texts and links pretending to be SPL that try to collect ID numbers, passwords and card details, under the slogan "check before you pay". SPL says its staff never ask for these details. No case numbers have been published.[31][38]
Reported in: Nationwide
How it works
A text says a parcel is waiting and needs a small fee or an address update. The link opens a copy of the SPL site that asks for your ID, card and code.
Red flags
- A parcel you were not expecting
- A small fee by link
- A request for your ID number, password or card details
How to protect yourself
- Track parcels only in SPL’s official app or site
- Never enter card details from a text message link
If it happened to you
- Block the card through your bank
- Report the message to SPL and forward it to 330330
Where to report: SPL customer service 19992; fraud texts to 330330.
10. Fake "money recovery" lawyers after a scam
Saudi Banks have warned about cloned news sites that publish fake arrest stories and then promote a "lawyer" who can get lost money back. Victims fill in a form with their personal and bank details and lose more. The warning dates from 2022 but the pattern targets anyone who has already been scammed.[32][1]
Reported in: Nationwide
How it works
After you lose money, an ad, a news-style page or a message offers to recover it for a fee or asks for your bank details to "trace" the funds.
Red flags
- An offer to recover money for an upfront fee
- A "lawyer" or "cybercrime specialist" who contacts you first
- A request for your bank login or codes
How to protect yourself
- Only the police, the Public Prosecution and your bank can freeze or return stolen funds
- Never pay anyone to recover money
If it happened to you
- Report the second contact to the police as well
- Tell your bank so it can watch your account
Where to report: Kollona Amn or the police.
11. Romance scams and online blackmail
The Saudi Banks "Not normal" initiative lists emotional fraud that starts with a friend request. Public Security says cybercrime reports, including blackmail, are handled confidentially. We found no Saudi case numbers for romance scams or sextortion from 2024 to 2026, so this ranking is based on warnings, not counts.[33][34]
Reported in: Nationwide
How it works
A stranger builds trust online, then needs money for an emergency or a trip, or records private images and threatens to share them unless you pay.
Red flags
- Someone you have never met asks for money
- Pressure to move to a private app or video call
- Threats to share images
How to protect yourself
- Never send money or private images to someone you only know online
- Keep social media profiles private
If it happened to you
- Do not pay; paying usually brings more demands
- Keep the chats and account details
- Report to Kollona Amn or the police; reports are confidential
Where to report: Kollona Amn, 911 or 999, or the nearest police station.
12. AI deepfakes and cloned voices (emerging)
In May 2026 the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) published deepfake guidelines that name impostor scams, where cloned voices and faces of trusted people are used to approve payments, as a main misuse. The National Cybersecurity Authority’s October 2026 campaign also focuses on phishing. No Saudi police case counts for voice-clone fraud have been published.[35][37]
Reported in: Nationwide
How it works
A call, voice note or video looks and sounds like a relative, manager or official and asks for an urgent transfer or a code.
Red flags
- An urgent money request from a familiar voice on a new number
- A short or blurry video call
- A request to keep it secret
How to protect yourself
- Call back on the number you already have
- Agree a family code word for emergencies
- Check suspicious links with the NCA’s Tahqaq service
If it happened to you
- Call your bank to stop the transfer
- Report the number and recording to the police
Where to report: Kollona Amn, 911 or 999.
City by city
Riyadh
Riyadh Police announced the largest share of non-Hajj fraud arrests we found from 2024 to 2026, often against networks that worked with people abroad and hit victims in several regions. No city-level annual figures are published, so the list below is based on the cases and their sizes.[4][23][28][21][10]
- Fake government-service links: 9 arrested, 33 incidents, about SR394,000 (January 2025)
- Victims’ data used to buy gold and phones: 9 arrested, 35 bank cards seized (October 2026)
- Fake rental listings on social media: 5 arrested (August 2025)
- Fake car-sale platforms and fake labour visa offers (September 2025)
- Fake "investors" who robbed people of SR1.3 million (December 2024)
- Fake Hajj permits and ads sold from Riyadh in the Hajj season
Where to report: 911, the Kollona Amn app, Absher financial fraud reports, or any police station.
Makkah and Jeddah
In the Makkah region, Hajj fraud dwarfs everything else: police announced arrests for fake campaigns, fake Makkah entry permits, forged Nusuk cards and wristbands, and fake sacrifice vouchers almost weekly in April and May 2026. We found no Jeddah-only fraud trend for 2024 to 2026, so Jeddah residents and pilgrims arriving through Jeddah should follow the Makkah region advice.[14][15][19][41][42]
- Fake Hajj campaigns, permits, Nusuk cards and wristbands (more than 217 fake campaigns dismantled nationwide in 2026)
- Fake Adahi and Hady vouchers sold by individuals
- Counterfeit gold bars: a 10-person gang linked to about 31 crimes and SR2.8 million (January 2025)
- Unlicensed pilgrim housing: the Ministry of Tourism warned owners, and eight Umrah service providers were suspended in October 2026
Where to report: 911, Kollona Amn, or the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on 1966.
Madinah
Madinah sees the same seasonal Hajj and visitor scams. In May 2025 police arrested four people who took money from victims to slaughter Hady on their behalf, and the Ministry of Tourism has warned building owners in Makkah and Madinah against unlicensed visitor housing.[16][41]
Where to report: 911, Kollona Amn, or the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on 1966 for visitor issues.
Dammam, Khobar and the Eastern Province
We found no Eastern Province fraud arrests or regional warnings from 2024 to 2026, so we do not claim a local trend. Residents face the national scams above, especially fake bank and government messages, fake stores and investment offers, and several Riyadh-led cases involved victims "in several regions". The prosecution’s advice applies everywhere: report to the police and your bank at once so the money can be frozen before it leaves the Kingdom.[1][2][3]
Where to report: 911, Kollona Amn, Absher financial fraud reports, or any police station.
Other regions
Fake Hajj ads were also traced to Qassim and Asir in May 2026. Outside the Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah and Eastern regions, the emergency number is 999 rather than 911. Public Security says cybercrime can be reported at any police station and that reports are confidential.[14][34]
Where to report: 999, Kollona Amn, or the nearest police station.
Where to report a scam in Saudi Arabia
Official channels named in 2024 to 2026 warnings. In an emergency, call 911 in the Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah and Eastern regions, or 999 elsewhere.
| Situation | Channel | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fraud, impersonation, hacked account or blackmail | Kollona Amn app or the nearest police station | Public Security |
| Money taken from your bank card or account | Your bank at once, then Absher: My Services, Public Security, Financial Fraud Reports | Absher, Public Prosecution |
| Fraud text messages | Forward the text to 330330 | Saudi Banks |
| Suspicious link | Check it with the Tahqaq service | National Cybersecurity Authority |
| Fake store or someone posing as the Ministry of Commerce | 1900 or the Ministry of Commerce complaints app | Ministry of Commerce |
| Investment or trading offer | Check the firm is a CMA Authorised Person | Capital Market Authority |
| Hajj and Umrah | Nusuk app, masar.nusuk.sa, adahi.org; Ministry of Hajj and Umrah 1966 | Interior Ministry, Ministry of Hajj and Umrah |
| Domestic worker recruitment | Musaned only | HRSD |
| A dispute with an employer or recruiter, or unpaid wages | HRSD on 19911, its website or Qiwa (free) | HRSD |
Saudi Arabia set up a financial fraud reports centre in 2025 so stolen money can be frozen quickly. Reach it through the police and your bank; it has no separate public number.
Five habits that stop most of these scams
Almost every scam above needs your code, your data or a transfer to a stranger. The anti-fraud prosecution calls Absher and Nafath data a red line.
- Never share an Absher, Nafath, bank or WhatsApp verification code
- Use government services only on sites ending in .gov.sa or in their official apps
- Treat any bank message on WhatsApp as suspect
- Pay only licensed sellers, agents and platforms: Nusuk, Musaned, Ejar, CMA-authorised firms
- Never lend your card, account or ID to anyone
If you have been scammed: the first hour
The prosecution says its fraud offices work around the clock in every region, and a report to the police and the bank straight away is the key step to stopping money leaving the Kingdom.
- Call your bank’s fraud line and block cards and transfers
- File a report through Absher (bank-card fraud) or Kollona Amn
- Keep screenshots, numbers, links and receipts
- If the bank does not resolve your complaint, escalate it to SAMA’s consumer protection service
- Ignore anyone who offers to recover your money for a fee