Abu Dhabi: Sending excessive amounts of money through credit transfers to people who call saying they are so-called representatives of phone companies and claim you have won a prize or a lottery is most likely a scam, according to telecommunication companies in the capital.
The warning comes in the wake of the many scam calls that urge phone subscribers to send money to claim rewards they have supposedly ‘won’.
Etisalat implements a ‘checks and balances’ system to prevent such scams and protect its subscribers by limiting large credit transfers, the company told Gulf News. According to their website, the minimum amount when sending credit is pegged at Dh5, the maximum daily amount [of credit transfer] is Dh150, with the monthly maximum at Dh1,500.
“As a mandatory requirement, with new phone subscribers, our business centres make sure to capture all customer details from his or her original ID card by using our ID readers and only if they are present in person,” etisalat explained.
Du, another popular phone service provider, said it works with their subscribers in person, but also uses a secure online portal. “It is worth mentioning that du never requests its customers to share personal information over the phone apart from asking for physical presence at authorised du shops or on the secured self-care portal,” du said.
Etisalat is working on ways to raise awareness among their customers. The company sends a message to go along with any SMS which includes sensitive information such as exclusive codes and pins, asking subscribers not to share the message.
According to etisalat, upon receiving a complaint, the company will conduct an investigation, block the scammer’s number and all linked accounts.
The company uses both social and mainstream media campaigns to promote knowledge on the topic so residents can prevent themselves from falling for the fraud.
Du said that if an investigation is launched [into a subscriber’s complaint], the issue will be dealt with through law enforcement. “We extend all possible assistance and cooperation to assist the concerned local authorities,” du said.
According to R.L., a media executive, more online campaigns need to be launched, especially for new expatriates who are not familiar with the phenomenon of such scams. Many phone subscribers when they see an unknown international number, she said, assume it is from a relative abroad, and so answer the call, falling prey to the scammer at the other end.
Abu Dhabi Police officials have previously said people should be suspicious of calls which offer rewards, especially if the person has not participated in a raffle or draw to be eligible. Senior police officials state that it is highly unlikely that telecommunications providers would offer such cash prizes.
Farah Al Morra, a graduate of mass communication, has personally not received a scam call but her mother has. The Morra family has been at the receiving end of such calls three or four times, she said. Thanks to warnings and articles in the media, her family never fell for the hoax.
The Public Prosecution has asked the public not to be deceived by such calls and to report fraudsters by contacting the telecommunications company which they claim to work for.
Heidi Pullyard is a trainee at Gulf News
