Revealed On 12 Could 2026
Faux on-line commercials and social media teams are luring folks in Jordan with guarantees of “fast earnings” from low-cost gold with sellers disappearing as soon as funds have been transferred or clients defrauded with counterfeit and substandard metals, Jordanians inform Al Jazeera.
Mohammed Nassar mentioned he was quoted a value for gold decrease than native market charges as a consequence of an “on-line retailer” claiming it was exempt from manufacturing charges, authorities licensing prices or store rents.
The Jordanian shopper transferred the cash to safe what he thought was a discount earlier than the web site disappeared and Nassar realised he had turn out to be the sufferer of a rip-off.
In one other case, a younger girl named Tala Al-Habashneh informed Al Jazeera that she purchased gold by way of a social media platform after agreeing with the vendor and transferring the promised quantity.
On nearer examination of the product, she discovered that her gold was counterfeit, combined with different metals and missing any official stamps or invoices to show its origin or carat.
Tala instantly filed a criticism with the Cybercrime Directorate of Jordan’s Public Safety Directorate. The case is pending.
Authorities monitoring
Wafaa Al-Momani, assistant director normal for Regulatory Affairs and director of the Jewellery Directorate on the Jordan Requirements and Metrology Organisation (JSMO), informed Al Jazeera that the establishment is the one entity within the kingdom liable for monitoring treasured steel jewelry – similar to gold, silver and platinum – and overseeing jewelry buying and selling.
All imported jewelry is examined and stamped by the JSMO earlier than being launched onto the market, she mentioned, whereas native workshops are additionally required to submit jewelry for inspection and verification earlier than it may be offered.
Al-Momani mentioned her organisation has acquired some complaints about firms, web sites and social media teams engaged in fraud by “selling the shopping for and promoting of gold, particularly damaged gold [used or damaged], by way of unlicensed people”.
The JSMO is monitoring sellers engaged in fraud in coordination with safety authorities to forestall jewelry from being offered exterior licensed retailers.
Al-Momani mentioned the JSMO is tightening oversight of gold retailers and sellers within the kingdom and mentioned any retailer discovered promoting unstamped jewelry or violating authorized requirements will face authorized penalties but in addition warned Jordanians that purchasing gold by way of unofficial channels “doesn’t assure that the jewelry conforms to authorized requirements or carats”.
Adornment and treasure
Rabhi Allan, the pinnacle of the Jordanian Affiliation of Jewellery and Goldsmiths, defined that gold stays a standard technique of saving and funding for Jordanians in addition to an adjunct, quoting the favored saying: “Gold is an adornment and a treasure.”
Nonetheless, he described the sale of gold by way of social media as “alien to Jordanian society” and careworn that transactions of this “money commodity” ought to solely happen through official retailers with invoices clearly stating the load, carat and labour prices of the product.
He mentioned the affiliation had filed complaints with the Cybercrime Directorate in opposition to unlicensed and nameless websites, noting that these pages “seem and disappear with out warning”, a scenario that leaves victims with out the power to safe their client rights.
The affiliation has documented quite a few complaints and courtroom circumstances ensuing from gold gross sales performed by way of social media platforms that usually use edited or fabricated photos and pretend presents to draw patrons.
Others supply gold at costs considerably under market worth to lure patrons, however the product offered is commonly counterfeit, nonexistent or accommodates far much less of the valuable steel than marketed.
He urged residents to purchase gold solely through licensed and accredited retailers that show official costs and situation correct invoices to guard patrons’ rights.
Whereas questions have been raised about whether or not some gold gross sales performed by way of social media might be linked to unlawful actions, Allan mentioned the circumstances monitored up to now look like “particular person incidents that don’t quantity to cash laundering”.
Safety warning
The Cybercrime Unit of the Public Safety Directorate additionally warned residents in opposition to shopping for gold by way of social media commercials and confirmed that the physique has acquired a number of complaints of fraud linked to the commerce.
Colonel Amer Al-Sartawi, Public Safety Directorate spokesperson, informed Al Jazeera that the grievances ranged from circumstances the place cash was wired to fraudsters who subsequently disappeared with out delivering the promised gold to incidents through which patrons acquired counterfeit items made out of different much less invaluable metals, similar to copper or iron.
Al-Sartawi urged residents to not cope with such pages and to purchase gold solely from licensed and accredited retailers.
