Interior Ministry Warns Against Phone Cloning, Threatens Violators with Deterrent Measures

The Ministry of Interior has urged citizens and residents to exercise caution and vigilance when dealing with individuals, stores, or electronic accounts that promote “device cashing” services for gadgets and mobile phones, or that offer immediate cash liquidity through installment contracts for phones and deferred-payment services provided by telecommunications companies.

The ministry clarified that these practices constitute a clear violation of legal and regulatory frameworks. Their promoters entice customers with the prospect of receiving immediate cash in exchange for purchasing devices and selling them to intermediaries at prices significantly below market value—often by up to 40%—while luring them into signing financial documents with inflated amounts that exceed the actual sum received. This exposes individuals to legal violations and judicial repercussions.

The Ministry of Interior reaffirmed its continued efforts, in coordination with regulatory authorities under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Public Authority for Communications and Information Technology, to track down and shut down non-compliant accounts and outlets, apprehend those responsible, and take necessary measures. These include revoking and canceling commercial licenses, imposing administrative closures on violating establishments, and referring those accountable to the relevant authorities to impose deterrent legal actions against them.