Kuwait City: Kuwait’s Interior Ministry has warned citizens and expatriates about a new wave of online financial scams carried out in the name of traffic fines. Authorities have strictly advised the public not to click on fake traffic fine links received on mobile phones.
The scam messages are reportedly being circulated under the cover of Gulf Traffic Week. Fraudsters send messages demanding payment of traffic fines and threaten recipients with heavier penalties if payment is not made within a specified time. Officials clarified that the messages are completely fake and part of an electronic fraud scheme aimed at stealing money from the public.
Director of the Security Media Department at the Interior Ministry, Othman Al Mansouri, said such online scams usually increase during summer holidays and vacation periods when people frequently book resorts and travel tickets.
The ministry advised the public to use only officially approved government channels to check and pay traffic fines. Fines should be paid only through the official government app Sahel, the Interior Ministry’s official mobile application, or directly through traffic department service centres across various governorates.
Authorities also said strict legal action is being taken against those creating fake websites for fraud and that awareness campaigns against cybercrime and online scams will continue strongly.
Residents, including expatriates, have been urged not to share banking or personal information by clicking on suspicious or unnecessary links.
