Muscat: The General Directorate of Criminal Investigation at the Royal Oman Police (ROP) has warned of a new mode of cyber-crime where the perpetrators target their potential preys using the name of a local company, after using the satellite phones and other modes of inviting the victims who will then be freed of their funds.
Under this new mode of duping, the defendants use the name of a local company to announce the sale of a specific commodity via WhatsApp, following which the buyer will be requested to fill in the bank data in the electronic link attached to the advertisement.
Using the bank details including the account number and the secret code, the money will be withdrawn from their bank, a new scheme operated from outside the Sultanate of Oman.
“We have monitored a fraudulent method in which an innocuous consumer will be lured to purchase a product or used goods online after publishing an advertisement in the name of a renowned commercial entity. Upon filling in the form with their bank details and other data, these fraudulent people will be withdrawing the funds from the account,” an ROP statement said.
It further says that the customer is nor wary of sharing the bank details with the commercial outlet because the name is often very popular and there wouldn’t be any doubts about their goodwill.
These fraudulent scammers are using that trust upon the famous brands in the country and one should be careful to not to share their bank details with anyone online,” banks continued to educate their customers.
"Scammers and malicious actors abuse the telecom facility and offer goods and popular kinds of premium-rate phone services, horoscope and fortune telling, spiritual and psychic guidance services along with adult entertainment such as sports biting, gambling and adult friend finders and chat services," Dr Haitham Hilal al Hajri (pictured), Cybersecurity Researcher and Expert said.
Today, the scammers are using tactics like fake advertisements, enticing offers, or misleading messages to hook people who are prone to such enticing messages and act upon.
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