JEDDAH: The Shoura Council has urged the Ministry of Social Affairs to ensure that the names of unsuspecting women are not used to commit fraud.

Hamda Al-Enzi, head of the Shoura’s social affairs committee, said the names of women were being used by criminals to set up businesses, and then claim social benefits for fictitious workers.

Al-Enzi made the comments in the wake of the ministry announcing recently that it had fired six workers and was investigating 30 others for fraudulently receiving government aid, according to a report in a local publication on Monday.

Meanwhile, Al-Enzi welcomed the ministry’s efforts to combat corruption, and said this should alert other ministries about the danger of fraud. The Social Affairs Ministry had done the right thing because this fraud was resulting in many people claiming Zakat despite owning land and property, and earning good salaries.

She said she was saddened by the fact that ministry officials had been involved in this fraud, despite them knowing how much poor and needy people needed these funds for their daily living.

She said that if people did not know what they were doing was wrong, and could not be deterred by ethical or religious arguments, then it was up to the ministries to take firm action against them.