Eastern Province police have warned citizens and expatriates to be wary of swindlers during the month of Ramadan.
Spokesman of the Eastern Province police Lt. Col. Ziyad Al-Reqaity said in a statement that swindlers often call people to say they have won cash prizes worth thousands of riyals.
Al-Reqaity urged people who receive such calls not to disclose any personal information to the caller.
The official also urged victims of fraud to file complaints with the nearest police station, a local newspaper reported Saturday. Police would only launch investigations if complaints are filed, he said.
A common ploy adopted by a swindler is to call a citizen or expatriate with a Ramadan greeting followed by congratulating the intended victim on winning a SR200,000 prize. The caller says he is from a well-known company and asks the victim to provide an account number so the prize money could be transferred.
The fraudster would also instruct the victim to install a particular number on his phone. This number helps the swindler gather vital information about the victim. When the swindler gets the bank account number he can easily steal money from the victim's account with the help of the latest technology.
Ameer Ali, a man who received such a telephone call, said he was not fooled. But some friends who were tempted by such offers, provided their account numbers and had money stolen from their bank accounts.
“All the more surprising is how these strange men in foreign countries get our names,” said a man whose wife received a call from a swindler.
He said that his wife and the family were happy when the swindler said she had won SR200,000. “When the swindler called my wife a second time, I took the phone and told him that if he called again I would inform the police. We did not receive any such calls after that,” he said.
He said the swindler wanted SR100 to transfer the prize money to his wife's account.
Police warn against Ramadan fraudsters
