Abu Dhabi Police have called upon the public to immediately report any attempts by swindlers posing as lottery organizers or other unknown personalities to rob them through their mobile phones or the internet.
The call followed a surge in such attempts which involved mails or sending text messages to mobile phone users telling them they have won a large sum of money and asking them to transfer fees for the dispatch of their funds.
In a statement carried by local newspapers this week, police said they had received more than 100 reports about swindling and deception attempts by unknown thieves through mobile phones and internet over the past year.
The statement said the persons who have fallen victims to such operations have been robbed by more than Dh250,000, adding that there has been a sharp increase in these attempts in the past three years.
“The public should instantly report any attempt to rob their money through their mobile phones or by e mail whether or not they fall victim to such operations…this will help the police arrest these criminals and thieves and rid the society from their criminal practices,” the statement said.
Many persons have reported they have received text messages on their mobile phones or e mails telling them they have a won a large sum of money in a lottery that has randomly picked their phone number or e mail address.
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