Five held over Qi Card fraud network

BAGHDAD — Five people have been arrested over an organised fraud network that impersonated Qi Card staff to obtain payment card details and steal money from employees, retirees and other cardholders, the Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency said.

Members had divided roles between running the group, obtaining customer data and moving the stolen funds, the agency said. Its cybercrime directorate is pursuing further suspects and tracing the network’s financial and electronic connections.

Qi Card is used across Iraq to pay salaries, pensions and welfare benefits, with cardholders drawing money through ATMs, authorised agents and payment terminals. The agency told customers not to respond to calls asking for card details or PINs, saying legitimate companies already hold what they need, and to report attempts on 911.

Providers and security agencies have warned about such scams before. A Qi Card official said in December that most fraud cases were linked to users sharing verification codes with untrusted sources, with fraudsters using fake websites and pages impersonating charities and lenders. The National Security Service warned in January last year that scammers were using supposed loan applications, salary discrepancies and prizes to get account details.