Scams, Fraud & Money Recovery
After a scam in Saudi Arabia: file via Absher Cybercrime Report or my.gov.sa under the Anti-Cyber Crime Law 2007 (Royal Decree M/17), claim a refund through your bank, and escalate free to SAMA Consumer Protection.
Covered in this guide:
Saudi Arabia's scam-recovery system runs across three institutions. The Public Security Department + Public Prosecution (Niyaba) investigate cybercrime under the Anti-Cyber Crime Law 2007 (Royal Decree M/17, 26 March 2007); complaints are filed online through the Absher portal's Cybercrime Report service, the National Platform my.gov.sa, or the Kolonna Amn ("We are all security") app from the Public Security Department. Maximum penalty for unauthorised access + blackmail / coercion: up to 5 years' imprisonment and a fine up to SAR 3,000,000 (Anti-Cyber Crime Law, Articles 3–8). For the money side, the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) Consumer Protection Department oversees bank handling of complaints — banks must respond to consumer complaints within 5 business days under the SAMA Rulebook, and unresolved complaints escalate to SAMA's online complaint system. For workplace and worker-related scams (especially affecting expatriate workers), the HRSD hotline 19911 is multilingual (Arabic, English, Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam, Bengali).
Emergency: 911 (unified national emergency, replacing 999/998/997 since 2018).
Key Laws
Anti-Cyber Crime Law (Royal Decree No. M/17, 8 Rabi'I 1428H / 26 March 2007)
Royal Decree M/17 of 2007
Saudi Arabia's primary cybercrime statute. Articles 3–8 set tiered penalties: unauthorised access + blackmail / coercion up to 5 years and SAR 3,000,000 fine; defamation and harm via IT devices up to 1 year and SAR 500,000 fine. Enforcement: Ministry of Interior + Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST, formerly CITC).
Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) (Royal Decree No. M/19, 14 Sept 2021; amended M/148, 2023)
Royal Decree M/19 of 2021 (amended Royal Decree M/148 of 2023)
KSA's first comprehensive data protection statute. Enforced 14 September 2023 with 1-year grace; fully effective from 14 September 2024. Regulator: SDAIA (Saudi Data and AI Authority) + NDMO. Administrative fines up to SAR 5,000,000; criminal penalties up to 2 years for serious offences.
Anti-Harassment Law (Royal Decree, 2018)
Royal Decree M/96 of 1439H / 2018
Criminalises sexual harassment including via modern technology. Article 1 defines harassment broadly as any saying, act, or sign of sexual significance directed at a person — covers online and digital channels.
SAMA Banking Consumer Protection Principles
SAMA Rulebook — Consumer Protection
Banks must operate a clear and effective complaint mechanism; complaints must be investigated and decided without delay. Standard initial bank response: 5 business days. Unresolved complaints escalate to SAMA's online complaint system.
First 24 Hours After Being Scammed
Three jobs run in parallel in the first day. Call your bank's fraud line immediately — block the account, freeze the wallet, and start a recall on any transfers in progress. The SAMA Consumer Protecti...
Reporting Cybercrime via Absher, my.gov.sa, and Kolonna Amn
Saudi Arabia provides three equivalent online channels to file a cybercrime complaint, all feeding the same Public Security Department + Public Prosecution pipeline. The legal framework is the Anti-Cy...
Recovering Money From a Saudi Bank via SAMA Consumer Protection
Saudi Arabia's money-recovery framework is a two-step process. Step 1: complaint to the bank. SAMA's Banking Consumer Protection Principles require every licensed bank to operate a clear, effective co...