Ooredoo issues guidance over phone scams in Oman

Muscat: Telecoms operator Ooredoo has warned customers not to hand over information to scamsters.
The company has said it never calls to ask for, check or confirm any personal, account, password or bank details.
“If you have won something, we will ask you for a face-to-face meeting. In fact, customers should beware of anyone calling from any company and asking for personal information, or asking them to pay a bill or settle an account,” Raed Dawood, Director of Government Relations and Corporate Affairs, said.
Recently, scamsters claiming to represent telecom companies and banks have been cold-calling residents telling them they have won a cash prize of up to OMR20,000.
They then persuade gullible victims to part with sensitive information like account numbers, passwords, resident card details and pin numbers.
Instead of receiving a cash windfall, victims have their bank savings stolen after criminals hijack their accounts and change pins and passwords.
“I advise customers to be suspicious too of any person calling unexpectedly to say they have won a prize or promising them large sums of money, especially if they have not entered a competition or draw,” the Ooredoo official said, adding that if something seems too good to be true, it’s probably a fraud!
“For reference, any prizes offered as part of an Ooredoo promotion or competition can be confirmed with our Contact Centre on 1500, or by popping in to any of our stores,” the official added.

TRA campaign
Last month, The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in Oman told Times of Oman it is planning an awareness campaign, involving other stakeholders such as Public Prosecution, which will focus on over-the-phone exploitation.
“The campaign will be in full operation later this year,” a TRA spokesman had said.
Explaining that Ooredoo is maximising its efforts to combat these calls, Dawood from Ooredoo advises customers to hang up as quickly as possible without sharing any information.
He emphasised that all calls of this nature should be immediately reported to the Ooredoo Contact Centre or any of their stores, where any information they receive will be used to help tackle this nuisance.
“Customers should note, however, that telephone scams are beyond the control of Ooredoo and it is recommended that anyone who has sadly fallen victim to one should contact the Public Prosecution to register a complaint,” the Ooredoo official added.