Dubai residents, do not answer calls from this number

A phone number, pretending to be from the Emirates ID authority, is targeting unsuspecting residents and attempting to swindle money from their bank accounts.

CP, a Dubai resident, told Khaleej Times how he almost fell victim to the scam. He claimed to call me to verify some details on my Emirates ID, he said. The man on the other end sounded like an Arab with a very formal approach. He then asked me for my personal details such as my age, bank account number, and the date of my last transaction.

After that, CP said that he received an SMS message from the scamster with a one-time password. This was when he knew something was up. I questioned him about his identity and he insisted that he was working for the government.

He later received an alert from his bank about a withdrawal that he did not make. Thankfully, his money was not lost as he just withdrew his salary earlier during the day. Thankfully, I had taken out my salary during the day so the transaction was declined. I urge residents to be mindful of giving away sensitive details to anonymous callers, he concluded.

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