MUSCAT: Under the shadow of coronavirus pandemic, scammers are preying on people’s fears with medical remedies claiming to prevent or cure the infection of the virus.
Websites touting miracle herbal medicines with home cures for the COVID-19 and robocalls offering everything from low-priced test-kits to work-at-home schemes have sprung up all over the world with no exception to the Sultanate.
“Be vigilant against such fraudulent advertisements”, the Royal Oman Police cautioned in a notice issued to the general public.
According to ROP, scammers have set up bogus online stores using social media accounts and sending out emails in a bid to milk money from the pandemic.
The Directorate General of Inquiries and Investigations at the ROP in the online notice warned against “fraudulent advertisements circulating on electronic means of communication which claims to provide treatment for coronavirus”.
While calling for caution against such scams, the police urged both citizens and residents to exercise caution while doing electronic transactions and not to pay attention to such advertisements.
In March last, the Interpol issued a notice to cops all over the world including to Royal Oman Police cautioning against scams related to coronavirus tests, vaccines and miracle cures circulating on social media.
“Don’t respond to such sham or malicious texts, emails or calls,” the ROP urged.
According to experts, a large number of coronavirus-related domains, some of them not even registered, have sprung up in the recent weeks.
Crooks have been faster than the virus to set up malicious websites and send out masses of phishing emails and texts to prey on hapless panic-stricken people to make a quick money, said Majid al Balushi, an IT expert with a local bank.
People will be motivated to buy these bogus cure items due to heightened fear and anxiety. This is the time when scammers step in to market pandemic-themed online products, he said.
“Do your homework when it comes to buying anything related to medicines for cure, protection kits or even advice,” he said, adding, “often such scams will ask you to click on a link or attachment and don’t do it”.
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