The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has warned the public against the increasing number of frauds being conducted through phones.
Fraudsters are trying to lure people by contacting them directly through phone calls.
“They will get in touch with you from a foreign country, seeking help to settle a financial deal, for which you will be given a commission or a percentage of the total money,” said Mohammed Aslam, a Ruwi resident.
“Last week, someone called me on my cellphone. Speaking fluent English, he told me that his father had left him a large inheritance in the bank of an European Union nation and that he was unable to get possession of the money as the bank was insisting on a guarantee. He was asking me to stand as a guarantee to claim the money,” said Prasad K T, a Wadi Kabir resident.
“Having talked to me for nearly ten minutes, he said his solicitor would contact me at the earliest. My friends told me that fraudsters were using this as a ploy to get my bank details,” he added.
Joseph L, a resident of CBD, too had a similar experience. “I got a call on my mobile phone. When I called back on the number, the person on the other side said that he was seeking my help to conduct certain financial dealings. Having been a victim of an online fraud, I disconnected the call at once.”
Giving a word of caution, an IT expert said, “E-mails were the preferred medium for fraudsters, before they switched to phone calls. Mails with subject lines like ‘you have won a lottery’ or pleas for help in financial transactions were often sent to people. As awareness against such mails grew, fraudsters are looking at new ways to cheat.”
TRA and the ROP have issued warnings against such frauds.
Source: MuscatDaily