Ras Al Khaimah: A seven-member group of fraudsters were arrested, 48 hours after police here received an electronic scam report.
The gang members were arrested both from inside and outside the country.
The Ras Al Khaimah Police General Command announced that the Criminal and Investigation Department (CID) team successfully apprehended a group of individuals of Asian descent.
The force was responding to a reported incident where an individual was deceived over the phone, leading to the unauthorised withdrawal of a sum of money.
Collaboration
Speaking at a press briefing held at the headquarters of Ras Al Khaimah Police, Brig. Gen. Tariq Mohammad bin Saif, the Acting Director General of Police Operations, revealed that the operation was a collaborative effort between Ras Al Khaimah Police and the Sharjah Police General Command.
Brigadier Bin Saif said the gang members had been arrested in cooperation with the Sharjah Police.
Bank cards seized
During the raid, a substantial quantity of bank cards associated with individuals abroad was discovered in their possession.
They sent fake messages to customers via phone calls or WhatsApp, informing them of the need to renew bank account data or the bank would stop cut off services.
That how they were able to trick their victims, which allowed the fraudsters to siphon off bank balances, moving them from the victim’s accounts to other accounts in other banks inside or outside the country.
Police stated after the Ras Al Khaimah Police Operations Room received a fraud report, the call was referred to the Al Jazeera Al Hamra Comprehensive Police Station, as the victim was within its jurisdiction when the incident occurred.
It was reported that RAK resident was exposed to the crime of electronic fraud involving a huge sum. The report was immediately referred to the Criminal and Investigation Department - Technical Crimes Branch.
Following security procedures, police formed a team from the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) trained to deal with technical crimes of this nature, following which a plan to track down the perpetrators was laid.
Within few hours, the team were able to track the perpetrators in Emirate of Sharjah. Their balances were frozen, their bank accounts were closed, and their funds were confiscated.
Bank cards
During the raid, police found in their possession a large number of bank cards from outside the country, in addition to sums of money seized from their suspicious operations.
The gang members were transferred to the competent authorities for further legal action and to complete the procedures to recover rights to their owners.
Warning to the public
Brig. bin Saif also warned members of the public of the need to avoid responding to fake calls or WhatsApp messages from people purportedly representing banks who lure their victims with deceptive methods.
The fraudsters tell fake stories to obtain their victims’ banking data and personal information which is then used hack their bank accounts, bank balances, and credit cards.
The official stressed that banks do not ask their customers to disclose their bank data or personal information through SMS text messages, emails, or by phone call — under the pretext of updating or activating their bank accounts.
The official also appealed to the public about the need to quickly inform the police of any crime or suspicion related to electronic fraud immediately.
