Police launched an investigation after the 26-year-old Saudi storeowner contacted them, complaining he had not received the funds for the goods.

“Investigations are still in its preliminary stage, as there is a good chance more people are involved in this criminal act. However, the victims in this case are partially responsible for enabling the transactions to go through unverified, and they should have stopped selling to the suspect when they did not receive the funds for the first transaction,” said spokesman for Jeddah police Brig. Misfer Al-Juaid.

Meanwhile, a 27-year-old Yemeni national was arrested in Aziziyah district on suspicion of stealing SR216,540 from a 34-year-old self-employed Saudi national, who had given the suspect the money for safekeeping.

The man was arrested Wednesday afternoon when the suspect attempted to escape the city after receiving the money. The money was recovered in full.

In another incident, police are on the lookout for a 22-year-old Saudi university student who police say had proposed to a 33-year-old Saudi woman and borrowed SR90,000 from her before disappearing without a trace after their engagement ceremony in Jeddah.

Also, a Sudanese watchman in his 20s is under police investigation after a local car rental office employee told officers he had seen three vehicles stolen from his company parked inside a parking lot in the Al-Waziriya district in south Jeddah.

“The company’s agent, a 42-year-old Egyptian, called the police and reported seeing his company’s vehicles, which had their license plates and chassis numbers tampered with. All three vehicles are kept at our investigation department to determine the veracity of the claims,” said Al-Juaid.