How UAE residents can avoid illegal telemarketing calls

Dubai - People often hang up and take zero action on these companies and individuals.

We've all been on the receiving end of unsolicited calls by telemarketers and robocallers. Some stranger offering us a zero-per-cent-interest credit card. The galling, cheery automated message telling us we've just bagged Dh200,000 in some make-believe raffle draw we never even entered. But just how do they get our number?
Truth be told, it's our own carelessness that's to blame. We basically hand our information to these companies on a plate. Whether it's filling out a form in the bank to sign up for a loan, or sending a query via an online enquiry form, we readily hand over our phone numbers with no thought as to what hands it will fall into next. It's become a daily habit and we don't even know it.
That aside, the practice is illegal.
"Information shared about an individual without the express consent of such a person is illegal, whether such information is shared with or without monetary benefits," Ashish Mehta, founder and managing partner of Ashish Mehta and Associates told Khaleej Times.
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"Upon questioning a telemarketing caller, their response is usually 'we got your mobile number from a source'. The challenge is how to prove from where they got the information and the time and effort it may take to initiate a complaint against such unsolicited callers," he said.
As such, people often hang up and take zero action on these companies and individuals.
In a poll of more than 3,100 participants, Khaleej Times asked its readers if they receive calls from telemarketers or robocallers on a weekly basis. The majority (1,755) said yes, while 43 per cent of respondents said no, noting less frequent calls.
With landline usage dropping and mobile phone ownership on the rise, it's become increasingly easier for marketing organisations to get their hands on our digits. Subscription data released by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in 2017 saw mobile subscriber numbers increase to 19.7 million, representing one of the world's highest per capita mobile phone use ratios of 226.4 per 100 people.
We've become the pawn in a lucrative sales pitch. All it takes is a walk around the city and you're bombarded with raffle contests, luring you to try your luck in the hopes of a big win. But such promotions are less about giveaways and more about capturing your personal details, which later go on to be entered into computerised mailing and phone lists.
Responding to this Khaleej Times reporter's tweet asking how increasing numbers of telemarketers get their hands on an individual's data, the TRA said it "always works with the licensees to reduce the spam messages" and calls.
"TRA advises the society and the subscribers not to share their mobile numbers in shopping malls and others, which contributes in reducing the receipt of spam messages."
Offering a tip to avoid a bombardment of telemarketing text messages, it said "to stop spam messages please send an SMS 'b' to 7726 then write the company number or name that have sent you the text".
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Harish Chib, vice-president for Middle East and Africa of Sophos, said "cybersecurity is 24/7, every single day of the year, because so is cybercrime".
"The frequency with which cyberattacks have taken place over the last 12 months makes it an imperative for consumers to be cautious while surfing online. They need to protect their personal and financial data from being stolen or compromised."
While telemarketers are noted more as an unwelcome pest than a threat to an individual's financial standing, there is a stark lesson in realising just how easy it is for people to get their hands on your personal data.
To ensure safety online, users need to follow a few basic tips every time, including being alert and using your better judgement.
"If something feels off about the website or app that is asking the information, trust your gut instinct and stop what you are doing. (Additionally), if something looks unusual, untrustworthy, or too good to be true, it probably is," Chib said. It is often the case with many of the raffle draws seen around town.
kelly@khaleejtimes.com