How to Report Cybercrime in Saudi Arabia (and Get Your Money Back)

Quick answer: If you are in immediate danger, call 999 (police, nationwide) or 911 (unified emergency in Riyadh, Makkah and the Eastern Province). Report the cybercrime through the Ministry of Interior's Kollona Amn ("We are all security") app or the national platform at my.gov.sa. Call your bank's fraud line right now to freeze the account and try to stop the payment, and forward scam SMS to 330330. Be realistic: money can sometimes be recovered if you act within minutes, but a transfer you were tricked into authorising is far harder to claw back than an unauthorised one.

What to do in 3 steps

1. Call your bank immediately. Phone the number on the back of your card or in your banking app and report the fraud. Ask them to freeze the card or account, block any pending transfers, and flag the transaction. The first minutes matter most, because once money leaves the account it is much harder to recover.
2. Report the cybercrime officially. File a report through the Ministry of Interior's Kollona Amn app or the Cyber Crime Reports service on the national platform (my.gov.sa). Attach your evidence: screenshots, the scammer's number, transaction references and any messages. For scam text messages, also forward them to the CST toll-free number 330330.
3. Escalate to SAMA if your bank does not resolve it. If the bank's response is unsatisfactory or too slow, raise a complaint with the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) through the Sama Cares portal (samacares.sa), the SAMACares app, or the toll-free line 8001256666.

How recovery actually works

There is no guaranteed refund. If you report an unauthorised transaction fast, your bank may be able to freeze the funds, reverse the charge, or recall the transfer before it is withdrawn at the other end, and SAMA's consumer protection framework gives you a route to push back if the bank refuses. But once money has been moved through mule accounts, converted to crypto, or sent abroad, the chances drop sharply. For authorised transfers made after deception, banks are not obliged to refund you the way they are for clearly unauthorised charges. Speed, evidence, and an official police report are what give you the best chance; recovery is possible but never promised.

What to have ready

• Your national ID or Iqama number and full name.
• The exact dates, times and amounts of every transaction, with reference numbers.
• The bank account, card, or IBAN involved and the receiving account if you know it.
• The scammer's phone number, email, username, website, or social media handle.
• Screenshots of messages, calls, payment confirmations and any fake invoices or pages.
• Any case or complaint reference numbers already issued by your bank or the police.

Frequently asked questions

How do I report a scammer in Saudi Arabia if I am an expat?
The Kollona Amn app and the national platform (my.gov.sa) are open to residents as well as citizens. You can report cybercrime, fraud, blackmail and harassment, and attach evidence. For scam SMS, forward the message to 330330.

The bank says the payment was authorised because I approved it. Can I still get my money back?
It is harder, but still report it. Authorised transfers made after deception are not automatically refundable, but a fast report can sometimes stop or recall the funds, and you can escalate to SAMA through Sama Cares if you believe the bank handled it poorly.

What is the difference between Kollona Amn and SAMA?
Kollona Amn is the Ministry of Interior's channel for reporting the crime itself to the police. SAMA (the Saudi Central Bank) is where you take a complaint about how your bank or a financial company handled your money. Use both: report the crime, and pursue the financial recovery in parallel.

Sources

• Cyber Crime Reports (Kollona Amn) on the Saudi national platform, my.gov.sa
• Emergency contact numbers, Saudi national platform (my.gov.sa)
• Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) Consumer Protection complaints
• Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST): report fraudulent messages to 330330
• Anti-Cyber Crime Law (Royal Decree M/17, 2007), Ministry of Communications and IT

For step-by-step reporting and recovery guides covering other countries, see our cybercrime help hub.