RIYADH — The Saudi security forces have busted a 12-member gang of online fraudsters who duped several people of huge amount of money after offering them lucrative returns. Several electronic devices that were designed to make phone calls, as well as SIM cards, and mobile devices designed to activate the SIM cards were seized from their hideout. An official source at the Public Prosecution stated that investigations initiated by the Financial Fraud Crimes wing of the Public Prosecution resulted in the arrest of the gang members, who included Saudi citizens and expatriates. It was revealed in the investigation procedures that a number of them made international calls through specialized devices and applications to the phone numbers of the victims inside the Kingdom, and that they persuaded the victims to invest in unlicensed digital currencies. The gang members opened bank accounts in a number of Saudi banks and received sums of money and transferred them outside the Kingdom. The investigations also showed that some of the defendants had posted their resumes on a social networking program to search for jobs and had received offers from foreign companies to work remotely in return for a low monthly salary. Electronic devices were sent to them by other defendants, using the names and uniforms of a well-known telecommunications company and securely installed devices inside homes, monitor their operation and hide tracking data. The source said that Public Prosecution officials are completing the investigation procedures before referring the gang members to the competent court and demanding severe penalties in accordance with the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law. The source stressed that the Public Prosecution continues combating financial crimes in all its forms and manifestations, and that it will not hesitate to bring the perpetrators to justice so as to impose severe penalties on them. The Public Prosecution underlined the need to verify any contact received regarding job offers or investment offers and so on, while adding that this may result in the exploitation of data and bank accounts by fraudsters.
