Muscat: Ten expatriates were arrested over phone calls fraud in Barka province, 69km away from the capital Muscat, the Royal Oman Police (ROP), has said.
The suspects allegedly made phone calls to victims informing them that they had won thousands of riyals.
They would then ask their victims for their bank card number, according to the ROP. The perpetrators used the information to withdraw money from the victims’ accounts. They were arrested red-handed in coordination with the Public Prosecution.
A number of devices used by the fraudsters were seized. Investigations are under way.
More than 45 cases of such frauds were registered in 2016, an official at the ROP, told Gulf News.
The official said that there was an increase in such cases and people should be very vigilant.
The official advised all citizens and residents not to get carried away by cash promises and to report such callers to the authorities.
Ahmed Al Salhi, an Omani national, told Gulf News that he received more than four calls from a man wanted information about his bank account, saying that he had won 10,000 riyals (Dh95,503) from his mobile telecom provider.
“I immediately reported the matter to the ROP. The calls stopped coming since then,” he said.
