Most fraudsters call from phone numbers that appear local but they are not, says expert

Published: 9 September 2024

NT Bureau
Doha

Most electronic fraudsters call from phone numbers that appear to be local but in reality they are not, an electronic investigation and research officer at the Electronic Crimes Section at the Ministry of Interior has said.

The fraudsters are calling via the Internet through what is called IBCALL, which gives the person the impression that the call is from a local phone. These are malicious programs whose goal is to place personal data through fake links to defraud customers, First Lieutenant Saud Khalid Jassim, said in an interview with Al Sharq.

Saud Jassim advised families and young people not to be lenient when browsing electronically and accessing the Internet and social networking sites, because fraudsters and phishers publish malicious links that aim to trap victims and expose them to dangers, abuse, and seize their money and personal and electronic accounts.

He said cybercrimes have increased due to the rapid spread of technology, however, security personnel are on the lookout for criminals no matter how sophisticated the means of fraud are. It should be noted in this context that the primary goal of criminals is to collect money through illegal means.

“In some cases, some people claim that they do not have money in their bank accounts and therefore do not adhere to the required security controls in this regard, which in itself is extremely dangerous because the fraudster may exploit the account to transfer money illegally and transfer it to another account,” he told the daily.

First Lieutenant Saud Khalid Jassim explained that many illegal bank transfers that were carried out fraudulently were intercepted before they left the country, but recovering the money that leaves the country is a complex process that requires time because it passes through many international channels.

He said that if a person is subjected to financial fraud and receives the OTP, which is an abbreviation for One Time Password, the first step is to immediately contact the hotline of the bank to which the financial account belongs in order to close it and stop the operation of cards of any type, as it is assumed that the OTP code is subject to confidentiality and should not be shared with anyone else.

Theft can also be done in another way, such as purchases in which a person uses his card and its information is leaked in any way. “To avoid such a situation, we recommend allocating an electronic card for daily purchases that contains small amounts. We also recommend that when making electronic purchases, ensure the security of the website, its guarantee, and the quality of its goods,” he said.