Anyone who has a mobile phone in Qatar should have received calls from unknown numbers at least once. While a majority of them are disconnected before one can attend them, some scammers have been known to interact with phone users.

Qatar’s residents have been advised to exercise caution while attending such calls and cautioned not to divulge personal or financial details to such people under any circumstances.

Fraud schemes are many and varied. vary in style and Qatar’s public are constantly reminded to be on alert always, Ooredoo Director for Community and Public Relations Fatima Sultan Al Kuwari told Gulf Times.

Scam callers may say that the user has won a prize and that personal details (including bank details and credit card information) were needed in order to claim it. However, users should exercise caution and send such numbers to FraudControl@ooredoo.qa.

Other scamsters use ‘spoofing — deliberately falsifying information transmitted to the caller ID display to disguise their identity — fake caller IDs or third party apps like Viber or WhatsApp.

Calls from Ooredoo are always made from official landline numbers based in Qatar. The company also never asks for personal bank details or credit card information over phone.

Have you had someone call you with scam offers and prizes? How did you handle it?