Egyptian man exploits payment glitch to steal $100,000 in online purchases

Egypt’s Interior Ministry has revealed that a young man exploited a loophole in an electronic payment system to obtain purchases worth millions of Egyptian pounds.

The ministry received a report from an official at an e-commerce company, claiming the company had been defrauded through a vulnerability in its payment application. The suspect allegedly acquired goods valued at the equivalent of $100,000 (2 million Egyptian pounds) without payment, according to a ministry statement.

Security authorities identified the perpetrator as an unemployed man residing in the Mokattam district of Cairo. After obtaining the necessary warrants, police arrested him and found in his possession several gold bars and jewelry, a large quantity of new clothing, and a mobile phone—all believed to be proceeds from the unauthorized purchases.

During questioning, the suspect admitted to the crime, stating he had made 139 purchases using the same method, exploiting the website’s electronic vulnerability without paying for the items.