Oman nabs fraudster for duping 56 girls

Cairo: The Omani police had arrested a man on suspicion of deceiving 56 girls in the country, media reported Monday.

The man had posed as the head of employment at an airline and promised some of his victims with jobs and offered the others marriage proposals, luring them via a fake account on social networking sites, Omani newspaper Al Shabiba said.

The suspect had demanded the girls to send him indecent photos that he used to blackmail them. He was arrested by the Muscat police who are taking legal procedures against him to refer him to court.

The Royal Oman Police (ROP) have advised the public against dealing with anonymous persons and bogus online accounts. The ROP have also called for using official channels to apply for jobs, and be on guard against enticements manipulated by fraudsters to trap their victims.

According to Omani law, fraud offences are punishable by up to two years in prison and fines ranging from OR 100 to a maximum 300 or either of the two penalties.