Politics

Expat Refuses To Fall For Passport Officer Impersonation Scam

Published

14 hours ago

May 21, 2025

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KUWAIT CITY, May 20: An expatriate in Kuwait narrowly avoided falling victim to a sophisticated phone scam on Tuesday morning. At around 10 a.m., he received a call from a number beginning with 3455. The caller claimed to be a passport officer and requested his date of birth, Civil ID number, and the names of the banks he deals with. Believing the caller represented the Ministry of Interior, the expat initially complied.

The caller then proceeded to list the first four digits of the expat’s bank card and asked him to complete the remaining numbers. At that moment, the expat recalled similar scams he had read about in the Arab Times news and refused to continue. He told the caller that any further communication should come through an official summons—either from a police station or via the “Sahel” government platform—before ending the call.

Shortly after, he received another call from a number beginning with 3456. This time, the caller claimed to be a higher-ranking officer and reprimanded the expat for not cooperating. When the expat again refused to share more information, the caller threatened him with a KD 500 fine. The expat stood firm, stating he would rather pay the fine than risk handing over sensitive bank details, and ended the call.

When later asked if he had been fined, the expat confirmed that no penalty had been issued.

A security source confirmed that this was a clear case of attempted fraud, using tactics often employed by scammers targeting expats online. He clarified that the numbers used do not exist within Kuwait’s official telecom network. The Ministry of Interior, he emphasized, never requests bank information from citizens or residents over the phone, and any banking updates should only be handled in person at one’s bank branch. He urged the public to ignore and report such calls.

Related Topics:Expat Fall Impersonation Officer Passport refuses Scam

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Politics

301 Arrested, 249 Deported in Intensified Kuwait’s Jleeb Crackdown

Published

4 hours ago

May 21, 2025

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KUWAIT CITY, May 21: Under the directives of His Excellency the Acting Prime Minister, Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, security campaigns in the Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh area are continuing with full intensity. These efforts, which were personally initiated by the Acting Prime Minister, are being carried out by the Criminal Security Sector, represented by the General Department of Criminal Investigations – Farwaniya Governorate Investigations Department, in collaboration with all relevant state authorities.

The ongoing campaigns have resulted in significant outcomes, including:

191 confiscation of various items
301 individuals arrested
249 individuals deported
52 wanted by law apprehended
78 violations issued by the Environment Public Authority
495 violations recorded by Kuwait Municipality
238 violation issued by the General Fire Force
121 electricity cables connection disconnected
130 homes had electricity cut off due to violations
152 residence permit violations recorded by the Public Authority for Manpower

The Ministry of Interior confirms that these campaigns will continue daily as part of its broader mission to combat all forms of violations and to strengthen public security and order.

Politics

Firefighters contain house fire in Al-Sabahiya; no injuries reported

Published

5 hours ago

May 21, 2025

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Firefighters contain house fire in Al-Sabahiya; no injuries reported

The aftermath of the house fire in Al-Sabahiya.

KUWAIT CITY, May 21: Firefighting teams from the Mangaf and Ahmadi stations successfully contained a house fire in the Al-Sabahiya area on Tuesday evening. The teams promptly responded to the incident and brought the fire under control without any reported injuries.

Politics

13-Year-Old Girl Rescued After Blackmail Attempt by Store Employee

Published

11 hours ago

May 21, 2025

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KUWAIT CITY, May 20: By order of the Hawalli Public Prosecution, a grocery store worker has been referred to the central prison on charges of blackmailing a 13-year-old girl. The incident reportedly began when the child allegedly took some sweets from the store and attempted to leave without paying. The worker later used the incident to extort and intimidate her.

According to security sources, the father of the girl, a 51-year-old expatriate, was alerted by neighbors who found his daughter in distress and crying. She had been detained by the store worker.

The girl told her father that the worker had confronted her the day before, accusing her of taking sweets without paying. He then forcibly took money from her bag and threatened to report her to the police unless she returned to him daily. On the day of the incident, she complied with his demand, but he instructed her to stay out of sight of the store’s surveillance cameras. Alarmed, she screamed, prompting passersby to intervene.

The accused later confessed to the crime during questioning by Hawalli detectives. A case has been registered as felony number 115/2025.