Saudi Arabia has sentenced eleven Pakistanis involved in a bank fraud, reported the 24NewsHd TV channel.

The suspects, all Pakistani residents, are accused of impersonating a false identity and defrauding a number of people including Saudi and Pakistani nationals by sending them false text messages claiming their bank cards had malfunctioned and needed to be updated.

The trick gave the suspects access to the victims’ bank personal identification numbers (PINs) and enabled them to withdraw money from their personal accounts in collaboration with a Pakistani residing outside Saudi Arabia.

Upon conviction, all members of the gang were sentenced to seven years in prison and were also ordered into exile.

They would make phone calls to both Saudi citizens and foreigners in an attempt to obtain their bank account information and then use that information for fraudulent activities. The Saudi Public Prosecution took legal action against these individuals and tried them in a local court.