By Vinod Nair — MUSCAT: March 19 - One more case of a citizen duped by fraudulent investors was reported by the investigation authorities yesterday. In a statement, Royal Oman Police (ROP) said it’s team arrested two African nationals for duping a citizen of a large amount of money (around RO 85,000) by luring him into making investment in a large-scale project.
On coming into terms with the fact that he has been cheated, the victim lodged a complaint with the Bausher police.
ROP urged citizens and residents to exercise caution (while indulging in financial transactions) and take legal help to confirm the identity and credibility of the other party involved in the transaction.
ROP added that it has been found out that in recent times criminals mostly from Africa come to the Sultanate on tourist visas and deceive people to invest in fake projects.
The case has been referred to the prosecutors for further procedures.
In a related development, last week, Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) in a statement warned Omanis making investments abroad to be careful before entering into any kind of business agreements.
OCCI was responding to a report in a regional newspaper, which said that 22 Omani investors have been victims of a scam amounted to nearly RO 450,000.
The chamber said the investors should seek help from legal services to ensure the validity of all documents.
In this particular case, a man posing as a UAE-based property developer proved to be a con artist after collecting RO450,000 from 22 Omani investors as deposits for three-bedroom flats in Dubai.
The newspaper report said the fraudster claimed to be partners with a member of an influential when they met at an office in Muscat in August last year.
More arrests: Royal Oman Police (ROP) also arrested 16 people accused of committing a number of crimes, including thefts, from shops in Samail and Izki. The accused have been indulged in the theft of a large amount of money and luxury items from a number of shops in the area. The suspects have been referred to the public prosecution.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
