Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
broken clouds
weather
OMAN
23°C / 23°C
EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Beware! Conmen using the hypermarket trick

1068690
1068690
minus
plus

Spamsters, who used to call people to announce their phone number has been selected for a cash prize, and con them, have changed tack.


Their current modus operandi is to call customers at hypermarkets to announce they have won a prize, ask for their bank details and wipe their accounts clean.


In order to win the trust of their unsuspecting victims, these spamsters introduce themselves as a top manager of a well-known hypermarket in the country.


Ramsheed, a travel agent in Sur, received a call from Hasan al Balushi (phone no 94774137), claiming to be the manager of a hypermarket chain. “He said I had just won the hypermarket’s raffle draw.”


He was asked to share his bank account number so the prize money could be transferred to his account.


Suspecting something fishy in the caller’s message and tone, Ramsheed disconnected the call and checked with the hypermarket’s manager, who denied such a promotion was currently on.


In another incident, a man from Salalah received a phone call saying he had won a raffle draw conducted by a hypermarket.


He was also asked to follow certain instructions so the cash prize could be transferred to his bank account.


As part of the process, the caller asked him to share the IMEI number of his mobile phone. When questioned why a hypermarket would need the IMEI number, the perpetrator abruptly disconnected the phone.


The general manager of the hypermarket chain whose name was used by the conmen said no hypermarket personnel will ask the winner for bank details.


Instead, we would advise they to approach the same outlet or the nearest branch.


The Cyber Crime Department at the Royal Oman Police (ROP) has again asked people not to encourage such callers and to report them at the nearest police station.


Section 4 of the Omani Cyber Law, under Forgery and Information Fraud category, says the penalty for a person who uses the information technology tools in the commission of informational forgery crimes and causes personal benefit to him or causes damage to the other can be punished with imprisonment for a period not less than one year and not exceeding three years and a fine not less than RO 1,000 and not exceeding RO 3,000.


SHARE ARTICLE
arrow up
home icon