A call asking you to approve something on Nafath. Check this first.

The problem

A caller says they need to confirm an identity, sort out a benefit, or resolve a problem with an account, and asks the person to open the Nafath app and approve the request that is about to appear, while staying on the phone the whole time. The request shows up right on cue, which feels like proof the caller is legitimate.

Approving it hands over more than it seems. A Nafath approval can authorise a real action tied to a real national identity, from confirming a login to a government service to authorising a change on a linked bank account, depending on what the request actually is.

How it can happen

Nafath exists precisely because a single approval carries real weight, which is exactly what a caller is counting on. Most people have never read closely what a specific Nafath request says before tapping approve, especially while distracted by someone talking them through it on the phone at the same time.

Absher, the Ministry of Interior platform that also operates Nafath, has issued a public warning stressing that people should not respond to any message or call claiming to facilitate a service, and should never share personal data with any person or entity over the phone. The advice is not limited to passwords or card numbers. It applies just as much to an approval tap that a caller is walking someone through in real time, since that tap is the entire scam.

How to avoid it

Never approve a Nafath request while on a call with someone who told the person to expect it, no matter what department, bank, or service they claim to represent. Hang up first.

Once off the call, open Nafath independently, on its own, and read exactly what any pending request says before deciding anything. If a request truly needs a response, it will still be there after confirming the call was genuine, which means calling the institution back directly using a number found independently, never one given during the original call.

Treat pressure to approve quickly as the clearest warning sign there is. A real government service or bank does not need an approval completed in the next thirty seconds, and any claim that not approving immediately will cause account problems is itself part of the pressure, not a real consequence.

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Things to watch

• A caller instructing you to open Nafath during the call itself.
• A request that appears in the app right after being told to expect it.
• Pressure to approve within seconds or minutes.
• Any claim that not approving quickly will cause an account or benefit to be suspended.
• A caller who will not stay on the line long enough for an independent callback.

The same pressure to act on a call shows up with government agency impersonation more broadly. Read our guide to government call verification for the wider pattern.