The police source said the victims transferred the money in the expectation of receiving legitimate work contracts and flight reservations to European destinations but were left empty-handed after the agency owner ceased communication. Detectives from the relevant governorate’s criminal investigation department have begun questioning available witnesses and collecting financial records to build the case. The total sum involved in the alleged scam stands at KD 62,500, the source added. The complainants have provided transaction receipts and correspondence that investigators are now reviewing for evidence of intent to defraud.
Similar frauds have been reported across the Gulf, with a Bangladeshi newspaper reporting in March 2025 that agencies approved by the Kuwait Embassy in Dhaka had been accused of overcharging workers by $150 to $300 per visa on top of official fees. The Business Standard said the practice had potentially extracted between $30 million and $37 million from 134,000 workers since 2018. Such schemes often involve intermediaries promising expedited processing that never occurs, according to the publication.
In Kuwait, the Ministry of Interior reported in August 2025 that it had shut down a residency trafficking ring that exploited licenses of 28 companies to place 382 workers for fees ranging from KD 800 to KD 1,000 per person. The ministry said the operation also involved bribes of KD 200 to KD 250 to Public Authority for Manpower staff to insert the workers’ data into the system. Six people were arrested in connection with that network, including a Kuwaiti citizen identified as Muhammad Salem Al-Ajmi.
A separate case detailed by Al Jarida in August 2025 involved the arrest of a gang that forged Kuwaiti work permits, salary certificates and bank statements to help clients obtain Schengen visas for asylum in Europe. The newspaper reported that the gang charged between KD 950 and KD 1,500 per person and was targeting Article 18 private sector workers with offers of European jobs or asylum. Four Egyptians who had obtained the visas using the forged papers were detained during raids, Al Jarida added.
The Public Authority for Civil Information places Kuwait’s expatriate population at more than 3.3 million, creating a large pool of potential victims for unscrupulous recruiters. Authorities have repeatedly advised residents to deal only with licensed agencies listed on the Public Authority for Manpower website and to avoid upfront payments for overseas job promises. The latest complaint has been referred to the Public Prosecution for further action, the police source stated.
