Dubai/Abu Dhabi: Telecom operator etisalat has warned its customers against scam calls after a flurry of new complaints was noticed.
The fraudulent calls that began over a year ago involve the caller claiming to be an etisalat employee offering cash prizes.
In some cases, the caller quotes the customer's SIM card number to establish that he is an etisalat employee.
"Do not be a victim of scam calls telling you of winning cash prizes from etisalat, and quoting your SIM card's first 8 digits, which are identical for all UAE etisalat SIM cards [89971122]," etisalat said in an SMS sent to mobile subscribers. "Please report to the nearest police station if you receive any such calls."
Duping attempt
"I got a call from a man saying he is from etisalat and that I had won a lottery of Dh500,000 by random selection of numbers," said Gulf News reader B.D.A. "Before it could go any further, I hung up and called the police," he said. The caller was from within the UAE, and is being tracked by the police, he said. While the initial conversation may seem harmless, the catch is when the scammer asks for a small cash deposit and even bank details.
Police urge public to be cautious
Police are urging the public not to respond to scam text messages or phone calls, and instead report them to the authorities.
Brigadier Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Director General of the General Department for Criminal Investigation Department at Dubai Police, had told Gulf News earlier that "anyone who receives such a message or call must report it immediately.
"Dubai Police is collaborating with both etisalat and Al Ameen service in order to arrest these offenders," Brigadier Al Mansouri said. Dubai Police said offenders used international and local numbers in their scam.
Assistance
Anyone who receives such fraudulent messages or calls must report it immediately at the closest police station or call 999.
assistance
