Cook Jailed Over BD899 Scam

A 23-year-old cook has been sentenced to three years in prison, fined BD1,000 and ordered to be deported after serving his sentence for his role in a phishing scam that stole BD899 from a bank account. The victim received a text message claiming his bank account had been suspended and was directed to a link. After entering a one-time password, BD899 was transferred from the account in two transactions. Investigators traced the money to the defendant’s bank account, from which he withdrew the cash at an ATM. Security camera footage confirmed the withdrawal. The Public Prosecution accused the defendant of working with unidentified accomplices to obtain the victim’s electronic verification code, illegally access the account and transfer the money through fraud. The defendant admitted receiving and withdrawing the money but claimed another person had instructed him to hand over the cash. He provided no details or evidence about that person. Investigators also linked him to other fraud cases involving an organised criminal network.