Kuwait Court Jails Two Egyptians for Seven Years in KD 161,000 Online Fraud Case

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 22:  Kuwait’s Criminal Court has sentenced two Egyptian nationals to seven years in prison each and fined them KD5,520 each in a case involving the alleged theft of money from users of fake telecommunications and government websites and the transfer of funds to Egypt.

The court, presided over by Judge Al-Duwaihi Al-Duwaihi, with Judges Bader Al-Shihab and Ibrahim Khuraibet as members and Mohammed Malallah serving as court secretary, also fined two companies KD50,000 each, ordered the confiscation of funds and directed that the judgment be published in the Official Gazette.

The court acquitted a Kuwaiti citizen and another Egyptian in the case.

The total fines imposed on the two individuals and the two companies amounted to KD111,040, in addition to the confiscation of funds. The case was reported to involve approximately KD161,000.

Fake websites used to lure victims

Investigations by the General Department for Combating Economic Crimes indicated that an unidentified person had allegedly created fake websites impersonating telecommunications companies and government entities to deceive victims through attractive advertisements posted on social media.

According to the investigation findings, victims were allegedly tricked into making payments through bank transactions of less than KD25, which did not require a verification code. The transactions were processed through the websites of two companies and their payment links.

The alleged scheme involved concealing the proceeds and transferring money to Egypt through the two companies, cryptocurrency platforms and applications operating in Egypt, reportedly to avoid scrutiny by the Central Bank.

Refunds allegedly used to evade suspicion

Investigators also found that the group allegedly coordinated with an unidentified person to return some of the money to victims who filed complaints. The refunds were reportedly intended to create the impression that the companies were not involved in the offences.

The investigation also uncovered alleged falsification of shipping documents and manipulation of prices, along with the use of fictitious addresses to provide an appearance of legitimacy to the transactions.

The court imposed prison terms, financial penalties and confiscation measures as part of its ruling in the case.