Translated from Arabic.
What happened to you most likely falls under online fraud offences, as the Anti-Cybercrime Law criminalises fraudulently obtaining another person's money or bank details over the internet or by impersonating a shop or organisation. Acting quickly is an important factor in the chances of recovery, because fraudsters move money between accounts rapidly.
We advise you to follow these steps in order:
1. Contact your bank immediately through the official number printed on the card or in the app, and ask it to block the card, freeze transactions and log a fraud report, and request a dispute of the card transactions and an attempt to trace the transfer with the receiving bank. Get the report number.
2. File a criminal report through the "Kollona Amn" app or through the available Absher services, or by going to the nearest police station, and attach the transfer receipt, the beneficiary account number, the website link, the messages and the screenshots of the conversations.
3. Keep all the evidence without deleting anything. Do not contact the fraudster or pay any money to anyone promising to recover your money for a fee, as this is a common fraud tactic.
4. Change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication if you entered your account details through the link.
5. If the bank does not respond adequately, you can file a complaint with the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) through the "SAMA Cares" platform.
After the report, the security authorities investigate and the case is then referred to the Public Prosecution. You are entitled to claim your private right, i.e. recovery of the amount, within the criminal case before the competent court. A separate claim can also be filed through Najiz if the identity of the beneficiary account holder is established. The account holder may be held legally liable even if he claims he rented his account out to someone else.
Recovery of the amount cannot be guaranteed, as it depends on how quickly the funds are frozen, whether a balance remains and whether the perpetrators can be identified, but acting immediately greatly improves your chances. The KSA Lawyers team recommends consulting a lawyer specialising in cybercrime to review your documents, follow up on the report and pursue your private right.