Scamsters strike again impersonating government staff in UAE

Abu Dhabi - Kavitha. J, a banking professional based in Abu Dhabi said she was similarly targeted by scamsters last week.

Scamsters posing as government staff are on the prowl this Ramadan to extract sensitive personal information from residents, including their bank account details and Emirates ID number, Khaleej Times has learnt.
Many people have complained that they are receiving calls and messages from anonymous numbers saying their credit and debit cards have been blocked by the government of the UAE, and personal details are required to unblock the cards.
"I received an SMS saying my credit card and debit cards were blocked by the government and I should call back on the given mobile number. I really got scared as I have never been on the wrong side of the law, haven't committed any traffic violations and still could not understand why government would want to block my cards," Kavitha told Khaleej Times
But when she called back, she immediately sensed there was something fishy as the man on the other side spoke in broken English.
"But the explanation he gave sounded plausible. He said ahead of Expo 2020, the government wanted to link all credit and debit cards to Emirates ID system."
But Kavitha did not fall into the trap when the man asked her for her debit card number and other banking information to "confirm" her details in the system. "I told him that if he were from the government, he should be having the information with him. And I refused to share any details over the phone and hung up."
But Kavitha did not leave the matter there. "I immediately called up my bank and confirmed that my cards are not blocked. I also reported the number to Etisalat and also lodged a complaint with the police," she said.
Another Abu Dhabi resident, Dominic said he got an SMS that read 'Hello Sir, you ATM card has been blocked due to non-update your information with us. For more details call this number."
"I had a doubt that it was fraud due to the poor English used. When I called back, the person said he is from the Central Investigative Agency and asked for my ATM card number. When I asked for his name and the bank he is representing, he immediately disconnected."
Another resident, Pradeep got a call from a scamster who posed as a representative of the Emirates ID department. "He said my bank account will be deactivated if I don't share my Emirates ID details. I told him since he is calling from Emirates ID, he must be having it already," said Pradeep.
Last month, the Abu Dhabi Police had warned residents not to respond to scam calls after a new banking scam surfaced and fraudsters were calling people saying they have won fake prizes.
As Khaleej Times had earlier reported, many people have fallen victims and lost money when they unsuspectingly shared their bank account details to fraudsters.
Brigadier General Omran Ahmed Al Mazrouei, acting director of Criminal Investigation Directorate in the Criminal Security Division, said it is important to spread awareness and educate people on how no to fall victims of scams.
Don't respond to bank messages on WhatsApp
The Sharjah Police have launched an awareness campaign targeting bank clients, alerting them of fraudulent message requests to update bank information.
Leaflets were distributed by the police in which it advised the residents not to provide bank details to strangers, or respond to messages asking for account updates. It also urged people to be cautious while withdrawing money from ATMs and to take necessary steps to protect their account information.
Col Ibrahim Al Ajill, director of the criminal investigation department (CID) at the Sharjah Police, said they received numerous complaints this month. "The victims complained that cash was withdrawn from their bank accounts.
"The fraudsters asked victims to update personal data by clicking a link attached to the message. Once the link is clicked, fraudsters access the bank accounts to withdraw money. "Despite police efforts to intensify awareness among the public, residents continue to fall victim to such frauds. Some scamsters also offer personal loans to extract banking, credit/debit card or personal details, and drain out cash from the account. We urge the public to complete their banking transactions through the direct service windows of banks," he added.
"Police departments are making efforts to crack down on what is believed to be organised gangs operating inside and outside the country," said Al Ajill.
He urged bank customers not to give away debit/credit card details or click on links that come on WhatsApp. Customers must check with the bank about any text messages or emails they receive.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com
anjana@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Abu Dhabi