Fraud schemes in Qatar vary and members of the public are constantly warned through a wide range of awareness campaigns to prevent them from being victimised, Ooredoo director for Community and Public Relations Fatima Sultan al-Kuwari told Gulf Times yesterday.
Only recently, Ooredoo has issued the following warning, “Dear customer, beware of scam calls or messages asking for your banking or credit card details. Remember, anybody who asks you for this over the phone does not represent Ooredoo.
“If you get any suspicious calls, no matter what reason they say, no matter how tempting the ‘prize’ or offer is, do not share any information with them. Instead email the number to [email protected].”
“Winning” a cash prize, according to al-Kuwari, is the most common scam reported in the past two to three years. To claim the “prize,” al-Kuwari said the would-be victims are asked to give their banking or credit card details.
Another scam, ‘spoofing’, uses fake caller IDs or third party apps like Viber or WhatsApp. Al-Kuwari stressed that Ooredoo “always uses official landline numbers in Qatar” (e.g. 4420 0000) to contact its customers and not through third party apps, including GCC or international numbers.
“Ooredoo never asks for a payment or details such as personal bank details and credit card information over the phone,” al-Kuwari stressed.
Independent US government agency Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says spoofing occurs when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to the caller ID display to disguise their identity.
“Spoofing is often used as part of an attempt to trick someone into giving away valuable personal information so it can be used in fraudulent activity or sold illegally,” according to the FCC website.
Al-Kuwari said it is important that the public is well-informed of common fraud schemes and the necessary actions to take after experiencing an incident.
“As technology advances, so does the scams and fraud schemes some people use to cheat the public. Unfortunately, many people still fall victims to these scams, and that is the challenge for us hence, we continuously try to raise the awareness of people in Qatar through our print, broadcast, and online campaigns,” al-Kuwari said.
One of the scams, ‘spoofing’, uses fake caller IDs or third party apps like Viber or WhatsApp.
Residents in Qatar have been advised to exercise caution when receiving calls or messages from suspicious or unregistered numbers, especially if they are asked to divulge personal or financial details.
