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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Just a phone call and money is gone

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Muscat, Oct 22 - Phishing or telephone frauds continue to take place despite warnings. Some bank customers had reported recently their money was withdrawn immediately after having received an unsuspecting telephone call. “What is surprising is I did not share any personal details with the bank. They did not ask for personal details or PIN, but I got a message showing a substantial sum had been withdrawn from my account,” said Jacob, who didn’t wish to share his personal details.


“I believe the withdrawal and the phone call were related. I went to the bank and they promised to look into the matter. But the bank official said my case was not an isolated one and he had received many such complaints.” “One of my employees lost a good chunk of his salary in a similar scam. He received a call and they had some of his personal details. Within a few hours, he got a message saying a particular amount had been deducted from his account,” said a shipping company promoter.


They rushed to the bank and they said they would look into it. A top source in the banking industry told the Observer the modus operandi has changed over the years as the cyber criminals have realised people will not share personal details on the phone.


“There is a strong possibility some data is sourced from retail outlets that may be selling it for a sum.” Many expatriates hand over their SIM cards to friends or strangers at the time of exiting the country. “They should ensure that the SIM is cancelled and destroyed so that it is never used or misused by criminals,” said the source.


According to a report, fraudsters make a phone call that may be a live person or an automated message system. The caller ID will reveal the number and details as it is with any normal incoming call.


Vinod Nair


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