Muscat: The Public Prosecution has warned of the growing trend of fraud targeting individuals through fake accounts or websites falsely attributed to government entities.
These fraudulent platforms deceive victims into believing they are official accounts and request personal or financial information, or payment of fees under the pretense of completing certain procedures.
Victims often provide sensitive data, such as financial card details, which are then used by scammers to access and steal money from their bank accounts.
To safeguard against such scams, the public is advised to exercise caution and verify the authenticity of accounts before interacting with them, which can be done by visiting the official website verifying the electronic account of the respective organization, or contacting the organization's official customer service centers.
"Avoid sharing personal information, such as bank account details or identification numbers, especially when contacted by unofficial or personal numbers that do not appear to belong to a government entity," the Public Prosecution said.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) recently alerted all beneficiaries due to the spread of fraudulent SMS messages impersonating the banks primarily.
The SMS rushes the beneficiary to stop the fraudulent activity and clicks on malicious links impersonating the websites of the banks to steal the amount of the beneficiary's bank account.
The Royal Oman Police (ROP) has warned of fraudulent methods through a social media application, in which the perpetrators impersonate a bank and lure victims into a fake competition to win a cash prize.
This includes an electronic link that requests the entry of personal and banking data, and an (OTP) code through which money is seized from the victims’ accounts.
The Royal Oman Police called for ignoring such messages.
Suspicious and non-disclosure of banking data online, with the necessity of reporting to the competent authorities immediately upon exposure to these fraudulent methods.
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