Dubai Expo 2020 has nothing to do with ‘scam’ calls
Victims were told they had won Dh200,000 and iPhone X before bank details were demanded
Dubai: Expo 2020 has nothing to do with phone calls telling residents that they have won Dh200,000 and an iPhone X, organisers said on Thursday.
Calls were reportedly made from a UAE mobile number yesterday claiming to be from Expo 2020 organisers who were supposedly running a promotion in collaboration with Gulf News. Those who received the calls were told that 20 ‘lucky’ UAE residents were selected at random from their Emirates ID numbers to win Dh200,000 and an iPhone X.
Individuals behind the scam already had the victim’s physical address and email address, and said they just needed a copy of the victim’s Emirates ID card and their bank details in which to credit the amount.
What made the elaborate ploy all the more believable was the fact that the victim simultaneously received text messages appearing to be from both Emirates ID and Aramex, which enclosed verification codes to confirm the win and supposedly deliver the iPhone.
“I very nearly fell for it but put the phone down when they started asking for my bank details,” said Tehzeeb Ahmad, who received a call and reported it to Gulf News yesterday.
“The fact they had my details and sent text messages that appeared in the same feed as previous genuine text messages from Aramex and Emirates ID really freaked me out.”
An Expo 2020 Dubai spokesperson, said: “We are aware of these fraudulent claims, which are not connected in any way to Expo 2020 Dubai, and should be ignored.”