Alert: Fake message offering Dh200,000 prize money is going viral in UAE

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Alert: Fake message offering Dh200,000 prize money is going viral in UAE

The notification mentions 'Ministry of UAE' to make it look authentic.

By Web Report

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Published: Thu 12 Jul 2018, 8:27 AM

Last updated: Thu 12 Jul 2018, 5:57 PM

Quite often, unsuspecting residents in the UAE receive promotional message on WhatsApp and social media from top brands, including hypermarkets, declaring them winners of a non-existing promotion.
In spite of the word of caution, there are few who still fall prey to these scams.
A new message doing the rounds is called 'Lucky Draw Promo 2018', which appears to be from Lulu Hypermarket, offering the lucky winner Dh200,000.
For claiming the offer, the winners are asked to give a call on two numbers mentioned in the message. 

To make it look more authentic, the scammers go ahead and mention 'Ministry of UAE' with the name and signature of a certain Mr Mohammad Abdullah. 
Residents must weigh in on the layout of the notification and the language used before believing in them. 
In case of suspicion, they can raise an alarm by reporting about it to Dubai Economy Department on this link.   

Earlier warnings

LuLu has in April this year warned shoppers about scam messages of winning vouchers worth Dh500 for its 18th anniversary. 

The notification read: 
"We have come to know about some incidents of attempted frauds in the name of Lulu, where the callers have identified themselves as calling on behalf of Lulu and tried to obtain certain personal and financial information of the persons, including their bank account and bank card details with the intent of defrauding them with false news of winning a prize or with some offers at Lulu".
"Lulu Group hereby declares that it never contacts and has not authorized anyone to contact its customers or common public for their banking, credit card or any similar details".
"The public at large is advised to exercise extreme caution while dealing with anyone asking for their bank card or other personal details and report the matter to the concerned authorities. Lulu Group has already lodged an official complaint with the concerned police authorities against such fraudsters."
Scam alert: Lulu Hypermarket warns against fake messages
 


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