WhatsApp and Social Media Used in Fraudulent Water Park Tickets
KUWAIT CITY, June 21: With the summer season approaching and families preparing for outings to water parks, authorities have raised alarms over a surge in online scams targeting eager vacationers. Fraudsters are capitalizing on the seasonal demand by promoting fake discounts and special offers for water park tickets through fraudulent websites and social media accounts that closely resemble official channels.
These scammers often advertise attractive deals such as 'buy five tickets, get two free' or reduced rates for families. Victims are lured into transferring money for these supposed offers, only to be left empty-handed, either receiving fake tickets or falling prey to cyber theft, with some having their bank accounts compromised after completing the transaction.
In many cases, scammers use Kuwait phone numbers and WhatsApp accounts displaying images of popular water parks to appear legitimate. However, investigations reveal that most of these operations are run from outside Kuwait.
One Kuwaiti citizen shared his experience on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), revealing he was scammed out of KD 200 after purchasing tickets for his children from an individual advertising through WhatsApp. He urged the public to avoid unofficial sources and only use verified platforms for ticket bookings.
A security source confirmed that Kuwait's Cybercrime Department continues to monitor such fraudulent activities and has issued repeated warnings against dealing with unverified websites and social media accounts. Citizens and residents are strongly advised to use only official channels for bookings and to promptly report any suspected scams to the authorities.
Munif Nayef
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff
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