Over Half of Saudis Hit by Fraud, 43% Recovered Funds

A 2025 field survey has found that more than half of Saudi citizens have experienced financial fraud at some point, while 43% of those affected managed to recover their money — a rate attributed to effective grievance channels and strong consumer protection standards in the Kingdom.

The findings paint a detailed picture of how fraud reaches people. 16% of Saudis were affected by unauthorized withdrawal or spending of funds by family members or trusted individuals. A separate public opinion poll found that 62% of Saudis had been targeted by fraud attempts through phone calls or electronic means.

Typical schemes in Saudi Arabia rely on phone calls, SMS messages, social media, fake investment offers, bogus e-commerce platforms, and impersonation of banks or government entities. Notably, the Kingdom ranks near the bottom globally for financial fraud crime rates, with most recorded cases linked to social engineering and user behaviour rather than the hacking of digital systems.

How to report fraud

Victims are advised to act quickly. The first step is contacting the bank immediately to block cards and accounts and dispute any unauthorized transactions. The incident should then be reported to the police (Najda or local police stations) and referred to the Public Prosecution to help prevent stolen funds from being moved abroad and to support recovery.

For unresolved disputes with banks or finance companies, complaints can be submitted through the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) consumer protection complaint platform, as well as through banks' own fraud and complaint units.

Digital identity tools are also helping reduce risk. نفاذ provides unified identity verification across government and many financial services, lowering the chance of account takeover, while توكلنا and other national platforms integrate with it for secure login and identity confirmation in services involving payments or financial data.

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