A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to five years in jail after tricking gold shops across the capital with a BenefitPay app scam. The Fourth Minor Criminal Court handed him a one-year sentence for each of the five cases against him, along with a fine of 2,000 Bahraini Dinars, the public prosecution announced on Thursday.
The court heard that the man had conned jewellers into believing payments for gold were sent via the popular app, only to vanish without actually paying. His takings, including gold are thought to be worth around 3,000 dinars.
The scam came to light last month, with Capital Governorate Police acting quickly after shopkeepers reported the fraud. The Daily Tribune reported that the suspect tricked shop staff into handing over the items, which he later sold to other stores, turning his loot into cash.
Upon receiving the complaints, the public prosecution promptly opened an inquiry. The man was detained, questioned over all five incidents, and held in custody.The case was then referred to court, where he was found guilty and sentenced to serve his time for the fraudulent spree.