Watch out! That SMS from bank in UAE could be fake

Sharjah/Fujairah - The police have arrested some of the members behind these organised gangs.

Text messages trying to extract a customer's secret bank information to hack into his account and withdraw funds are increasing by the day. To crack down on this growing fraud, the central investigation department (CID) of Sharjah and Fujairah Police have stepped up their investigation and search for gangs involved in such activities inside and outside the country.
Police officials pointed out that despite awareness campaigns being carried out by the Ministry of interior in all the emirates, there are still gullible people who fall victim to these crimes. The police have received a number of complaints from people who received such fake SMSes from local numbers.
The police have arrested some of the members behind these organised gangs. However, as the fraudulent messages continue to widen their net on social media, the police have intensified its efforts to nab the conmen.
Disregard that SMS
A top official at the Sharjah Police said that the department has launched awareness drives in which it warns the public of fake messages circulated by fraudsters posing as bank employees, claiming to update personal bank information of the victims.
He said that several reports were received by the police regarding the bank scam taking place through fraudulent text messages and sites, which try to squeeze out information related to the victims' bank accounts, debit card numbers or confidential PIN numbers, in order to steal their funds.
The Sharjah Police have urged residents not to disclose or share their bank information with any unauthorised online banking services, and to complete transactions through their bank's official channels.
The police underlined that they are ramping up their efforts to arrest the criminals. All bank customers have been asked to completely disregard such messages. Scam incidents must be reported to the police on the following numbers 065943446 / 065943228 or through the email address tech_crimes@shjpolice.gov.ae.
Community cooperation vital
A top official at Furjairah Police said that the department has arrested a number of fraudsters and referred them to courts. The police keep a close watch on the fraud activities and have intensified their vigil. Awareness campaigns have been launched that warn residents through SMSes and police department's social media accounts to be wary of the fake messages, he added.
"The fraud can't be curbed without the cooperation of the community." 
The official pointed out that banks in the UAE tell their customers not to pay heed to shady messages and emails. They stress that whenever needed, the customers should directly contact the banks through local mobile numbers mentioned on their letterheads or through official and secure applications. Upon updating data, the customer can visit any branch of the bank to check the details.
Police departments have called on the people not to deal with suspicious phone numbers or text messages, maintain the confidentiality of personal bank information, and inform the security services immediately if they receive a dubious message or call.
afkar@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE