Dubai: The country's largest telecommunications provider is warning customers to be aware of fraudsters.
etisalat issued an alert on Sunday after learning that scammers were contacting UAE residents from Pakistan-based numbers (country code: 92) and asking them to either transfer credit, share their PIN number or provide personal information in return for the chance to win a huge cash prize.
etisalat confirmed on Sunday that it is not running a raffle or lucky draw campaign and urged customers to remain vigilant against such calls. Last week, Mobily also issued an alert, urging its customers to beware of fraudsters.
Gulf News spoke to several readers who had received prank calls from Pakistan on Sunday.
Muyeed Ahmad, a 37-year-old senior network engineer from India, said: "The scammers are trying to trap people by telling them they have won a prize in a lucky draw of a competition, saying that the cheque will be delivered once they recharge their phone.
"My neighbour received such a call yesterday. I intervened and questioned the man on the line about what he was saying. He claimed he had a company in Dubai and that he wasn't calling from Pakistan, but that rather it was an internet number that was showing up - which is a lot of nonsense."
Do you know of anyone who had been a victim of this fraud? Did they donate money? Fill in the form bellow to send your comments.
Your comments
It is someone calling from a Pakistan based number saying I have won $1 million in a lucky draw by etisalat. I told them thanks but keep it with you, because I understood that it is a fraud, but I may be charged for the internatioal call.
Brijesh Thomas
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 09:15
I experienced a somewhat similar fraud where a person called from India and claimed to be an employee of my company's Singapore office. He told me that his outlook address book is corrupted and needs my help to send him the UK office employees details. He was convincing and knew a few people's names and designations in my company. Eventually I ended up sending him the contact details on the official email. Then he said the official one is not working, send it to his personal email. Later I get a call from the real person working in Singapore about the email and then I realised it was a fraud.
Zakeer
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 09:15
My sister received the call about a month back from Pakistan and the caller claimed to be from etisalat. He asked her to check her sim card and said the first few digits of the number. Then he asked her to rechrage her mobile upto Dh500 and gave her a set of instructions. As she got confused, she told him to speak to her husband who immediately recognised the scammer and gave him a piece of his mind. All members of my family, and even some friends, have received miss calls from Pakistan in the past few weeks. These people really have a lot of spare time on their hands. Why don't they use their brains to earn money in a legitimate way instead?
Samira
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 08:52
One of my friends got a call last Thursday from Pakistan telling him that he had won Dh50,000. As he was aware of these frauds through the radio channels, he started recording the conversation. At the end of the conversation, the guy said that this matter is highly confidential and not to be shared with anyone. Then my friend said that he has a meeting and has to move on, and he will be calling him back. After that the fraud started giving missed calls and even today he got one!
Aziz
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 08:50
Thank you for the information. One of my friends received a text message saying to transfer Dh20 to a Dubai based mobile number, as he is in big trouble. The mobile number was from Pakistan and the girl speaking was called Nadia.
Sameer I.
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 08:50
One of the house maids in our building got a call last month and was told that she won a prize of Dh50,000. In order to get a prize she was advised to provide an etisalat prepaid card worth of Dh700. After doing this she did not receive any other call or a prize.
Adnan Khan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 08:46
I had received about two missed calls from a number from Pakistan. Later I called back on the same number and a guy says congratulations you are our lucky number! He asked my name and a few details. I knew this was all fraud, but I wanted to find out what he actually wanted. Finally, he asked me to send him my credit card details with all documents to be faxed. It is understood if you keep on asking all sorts of weird questions to them.
Habib
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 08:42
One of my colleague's phone rang with a weird phone number flashing. I suggested him not to answer it as it would probably be a hoax. I told him about the bogus calls from Pakistan telling people they had won a prize.
Clevan Roshan Pinto
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 08:40
I have been a victim of such calls, they kept sending me missed calls but I was warned of such scams through emails from friends so I did not return the calls.
Mehnaz Mustafa
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 08:40
My husband and I received the same calls twice. The incoming call showing was from Nepal.
Biju
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 08:37
I thought it was one of my cheap friends when I got a missed call from a Pakistan mobile number. Anyway, I played along their scam and made them call me back a number of times during the two-hour ordeal! I call it, scamming the Scammers!
Syed Mohammad Jawad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 08:36
My dad received a call last week saying that he had won some money. The caller asked my dad to get in touch with etisalat by transferring the credit and asked him to give him the PIN number, which would help my dad get the winning amount.
Sana
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 08:35
My freinds were getting these calls from Pakistan about the lucky draw. Those people telling to hold the call and asking the details. I have cross-check the person and found out he is a prankster.
Muddasir
Sharjah,India
Posted: February 02, 2009, 08:35
I received around four missed calls from a couple of Pakistan mobile numbers, so I was a little scared that someone got some problems, so I called the same number and someone I didn't know informed me that I am the winner of the etisalat super lottery amounting to Dh500,000.
Syed Anwar Al Hasan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 08:28
I did call back on this international number to be told that I have won a money prize. The caller couldn't even talk proper English and was claiming to be calling from etisalat Saudi Arabia. I just told him to take my prize money for himself and hung up.
Farshad Abu Bakr
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 08:16
Last year I was in Pakistan on my annual leave. During that visit I received a call from a local number and they told me that I had won 1 million Rs. But I was well aware of such fraud so I played with the caller and at the end I caught him and he apologised to me.
Munir Al Deen
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 08:01
I received a missed call on Friday. When I called back, the person told me that I had won 500,000 PKRs. He asked me to provide my residency number. When I asked him where he's calling from, he said Sharjah. I cut the line. I do not know what they want to do with the my residency number. The authorities should take care about these nonsense things.
Ajmal
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 07:54
My question is how are they getting our numbers to call us? I had received two calls, but have not answerd. I never answer international calls that are not in my phonebook.
Shekar
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 07:49
I had a guy from Pakistan who called and text messaged me a lot. He once asked me for money but I just deleted the message. Now he gives me missed calls and it has become an irritation. Can you tell me what to do?
Jurina
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 07:46
My assistant received a call and was informed that he won the lottery. As I am a Pakistan national and the number from which he received the call was a Pakistan based number. After a few days our driver received a call and was informed that they are calling from etisalat and that he won the lottery. After that he came and told me that they want something and I could not understand that. Then he showed me the number from which he received the call and it was a Pakistan based number and I informed him that it is a fraud, as my brother on Friday told me that his friend transferred the credit and became a victim of this fraud.
Mohammad Nohman
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 07:46
I too received a call on Saturday night from a local mobile number, the fraud tried to cheat me. If I recharge Dh1,500 on my mobile, then I will be given the cheque number.
Haja Kam Al Deen
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 07:40
Last week I got three missed calls from a Pakistan number, but I didn't call back due to the information available that this is a fraud. Yesterday, I received two messages from a UK number and the message said "Germany international motors show. You are lucky winner of a Mercedes Benz - sl600cc worth $285,000 for details contact?"
Samuel Varghese
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 07:40
I received calls twice on my mobile and ignored it. I thought it was a wrong number, as I do not know anyone from Pakistan.
Roopa Attavar
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 07:33
Now, that answers my question why I recieved about five calls from Pakistan. Fortunately, they don't know how to speak English, and I don't know how to speak arabic. So they didn't have a chance to pitch me for their scam. I thought it was just a plain wrong number, or some mistake from etisalat that I am reciveing calls from Pakistan, instead of calls from Philippines. I also know about four friends who recieved the same call. But no one was a victim. I hope action will be taken against them.
Greorie John Ranin
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 07:32
I received a call 10 days ago. I realised that it is a fraud then immediately disconnected it.
Mohammad Ayub
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 07:25
I received a call mentioning that I have won Dh1 Lakh. I just ignored that. Also, there were a few missed calls from a Pakistan number.
Abhay Limaye
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 07:24
I also got missed calls from Pakistan many times during the last two weeks. But not from the same mobile numbers.
Mote
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 07:15
My Brother also received several missed calls and when he called that number he got shocked. The guy told him the numbers printed at the back of the SIM card he was giving a missed call, and was asking for verification of the number. The question is how did they get the number printed at the back of the ISM cards?
Khalid Sultan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 07:08
I got calls from India for business but it shows a local number.
M. Saleem
houston, tx,usa
Posted: February 02, 2009, 05:29
I received a missed call from a Karachi number. Later I got a message saying "I think you are Priyanka you came in my dreams last night and even your number. I know you wont believe me but it is the truth." This really freaked me out.
Priyanka
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 02:08
I have received a call two weeks ago. One gentlemen spoke to me. He could not speak English properly and asked me if I knew Urdu or Hindi. I said only English. Then he told me lucky draw is there and that I have to buy Dh1,000 worth of etisalat prepaird cards and after 10 minutes he would call me and give me the numbers. He had all my details and that I would receive a prize at my door step worth Dh1 million and give a short interview. I asked him if he was capable of giving me Dh1 million then why is he missed calling?
Priya
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 02, 2009, 00:36