ABU DHABI A WhatsApp message warning Abu Dhabi residents of a gang hypnotising people and snatching their wallets in broad daylight is doing the rounds.
The one-minute audio message in Malayalam has the voice of a man who claims he has heard the news on a radio channel.
“Good evening all! This is a message I just heard on radio. Beware of strangers who approach you on the streets and start a random conversation. For a few minutes, you would not know what is happening to you. It is as though you are losing consciousness and coming under a hypnotic spell. At that time they will snatch your wallets,” says the voice message XPRESS received from an Abu Dhabi resident.
Careful
The authenticity of the message could not be verified from official sources. A police comment was not immediately available.
But many residents who spoke to XPRESS said they have received similar messages.
“Many of my colleagues have got this message that is being forwarded by their friends. We do not know whether it is true,” said Abdul Gaffoor, a resident.
Smitha Rajagopal, a housewife in Mussafah, said some people on her WhatsApp group are even claiming to be victims.
“We do not know the source. But it is better to be careful. So I have also forwarded it to my friends in Abu Dhabi,” said Rajagopal.
The WhatsApp voice message claims that many people have fallen victim to this gang, and have lost their money and credit cards. The audio message also urges people to share it with others.