Telecom company etisalat has launched an awareness video warning UAE residents against the phone recharge scam being carried out in its name. The scamsters usually pose as etisalat employees and dupe gullible customers into believing that they have won huge amounts in raffles or lotteries. The vulnerable customers are then conned into transferring phone credits worth several thousands of dirhams to claim these prizes. Also read: UAE scammers using cheque photo in phone recharge con In the video posted on YouTube, etisalat has described the various ways through which these fraudsters are operating in the UAE, including the latest way of using images of cheques to convince the victims, which Khaleej Times reported on Thursday. To prevent victims from falling into the trap of such fraudsters, the company warned residents not to entertain or respond to fraudulent calls. "Do not disclose confidential information, or transfer any amount," it added. Watch video > Etisalat has also asked people to report all such calls to 101 and report the cases to the police if someone is scammed. Responding to Khaleej Times questions in the wake of the latest case of a Pakistani woman conned into sharing e-vouchers of phone credit worth Dh3000, Etisalat said it has put several checks and balances in place to minimise scams through mobile calls. These include warning in etisalat SMS containing specific codes, token or Pin numbers, requesting customers not to share it with anyone, limits on credit transfers of large amounts, picking up certain trends in the system and raising alarm if there is a suspicious activity.
Be safe from fraudsters Don't respond to calls claiming you have won raffle/lottery from Etisalat Don't share any confidential information to such callers Don't transfer any amount or phone credit to such callers
"As a mandatory requirement from TRA, our stores use ID readers to capture our customers' details from his or her original ID card, and only if they are present in person," etisalat said in a statement. The telecom company said it is constantly working on different ways to inform and raise awareness among customers about scammers who pose as Etisalat's employees and inform customers that they have won cash prizes and so on. "To ensure that appropriate action is taken against fraudsters, we cooperate and work closely with the relevant authorities where the customer first needs to report the fraud. In the past, etisalat had rolled out several scam awareness campaigns for customers and we will continue to raise awareness through mainstream media and social media as well," it added. sajila@khaleejtimes.com
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