Nusuk is the only official road to Hajj and Umrah
Bookings, permits, visas and payments are handled only through the official Nusuk platform and app. Any offer outside it is a scam.
What pilgrimage scams look like
Every season, fraudsters follow the pilgrims. The simplest and most damaging trick is selling a package, permit or visa that does not exist. Adverts offer “guaranteed seats” or discounted Umrah packages on WhatsApp, Telegram and social media; a deposit is paid and the package never appears — some victims only discover the fraud at the airport. It is an organised swindle that targets pilgrims' trust and repeats every season.
“Guaranteed Hajj seat — pay the deposit today.”
“Cheap Umrah package, no registration needed.”
“Your Umrah permit needs verification — send the code.”
“نسك عمرة تسجيل الدخول” — a link that copies the Nusuk sign-in screen.
“Your booking will be cancelled unless the amount is paid.”
Cloned pages and impersonated messages
Two methods sit behind most cases. The first is the cloned booking site: a page that copies the look of the official platform and asks for card details or a registration payment. The second is impersonation by message or call — a claim that your permit needs verification, that an amount is due, or that your booking will be cancelled, followed by a request for the OTP. The Ministry, the official platform and your bank never ask for your one-time password by call, SMS or WhatsApp.
Use only the official platform
Download the official pilgrimage app only from the official app stores and check the developer name; official Saudi government sites end in .sa. Complete bookings, procedures and payments inside the platform itself. Your Umrah permit and the digital card appear inside the app once your booking is approved — there is no separate card to buy, and no third party can arrange them for you.
⚠️ A price far below official rates, or “last seat” pressure to pay within minutes.
⚠️ Payment demanded by direct bank transfer, cryptocurrency or to a personal account.
⚠️ An agent who cannot show a confirmed booking inside the official app.
⚠️ A request for the OTP, passport photos or card details by message or call.
⚠️ A website whose domain does not end in .sa.
If you have been scammed
Contact your bank immediately and ask it to freeze the card and block the payment. Keep every message, receipt, screenshot and transaction reference as evidence. Then report to the Saudi Ministry of Interior e-Crime platform, and inform the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah through its official channels. Warn your family and friends — pilgrimage scams spread fastest inside trusted groups.
A word on permits
A permit, a visa or a seat cannot be created by an agent, however convincing the advert looks. If an offer is not inside the official platform, it is not real.
Report it officially
🇦🇪 UAE
Dubai Police eCrime (ecrime.ae, 901) · Abu Dhabi Aman 8002626 · Ministry of Interior e-Crime · emergencies 999.
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
Ministry of Interior e-Crime platform · report financial fraud to your bank and SAMA · emergencies 911.
🇰🇼 Kuwait
CITRA Cyber Security
[email protected] · Ministry of Interior cybercrime unit · emergency 112.
🇧🇭 Bahrain
National Cyber Security Center
[email protected] · Ministry of Interior economic & electronic security · emergencies 999.
