Qatar Central Bank has renewed its warnings to individuals in Qatar against answering unknown international calls, and to be cautious of suspicious local calls, calling on everyone to avoid sharing personal information over the phone.
The Central Bank said via its official account on the social media platform “X”: “If you would not share it with others, do not share it online, and do not share your financial information, such as your credit card data or one-time password (OTP).”
He added: “If you believe that the call is fraudulent, contact the party from whom the call was claimed, and if you lose your bank card, stop it immediately through the bank’s call centers or mobile application.”
For his part, a responsible banking source confirmed to Al Arab that the current period is witnessing an increase in the number of anonymous calls and text messages asking bank account holders to update their banking information and data, under the pretext of suspending the bank account or stopping the use of the credit card or ATM card or the presence of a shipment of orders under the person’s name and using his banking data to obtain the incoming shipment.
The source added that the banks sent urgent text messages to all customers stressing the need not to respond to any phone calls or text messages asking them for banking information for the purpose of updating data, whether directly or through links.
Update data
He explained that banks never send any messages containing links to update data, as the update is done exclusively through mobile applications, internet banking or through bank branches. The official confirmed that banks have asked customers to report any suspicious activity by calling the hotline of the bank customer.
The official also confirmed that banks have asked bank account holders to carefully check when receiving a text message or message via social media platforms from shipping companies that contains an electronic link. They also asked customers to review the website or approved application of the service provider to verify the validity of the transaction, and warned them against relying on the received link and entering websites that require them to pay shipping fees so that they can receive the shipment.
The official revealed that despite the rise in the phenomenon of electronic fraud by fraud gangs, the response to it is almost non-existent due to the campaigns carried out by the state to raise awareness among individuals and increase their knowledge of the fraudulent methods used by these international gangs, the latest of which is the “We Are All Aware” campaign.
In turn, the banks renewed the warning that when receiving the one-time verification code (OTP), the amount and the merchant’s name must always be verified before completing the transaction.
pretending to be a legitimate source
For its part, Qatar Central Bank explained that electronic fraud is the process of requesting information by pretending to be a legitimate source. Electronic fraud appears when you respond to an email asking you to provide your personal information or an attached file or link in the email. You must take the following information into consideration before providing it to others, including: ID number – bank account number – full name – place of work – credit card number – credit limit – number of cards you own – information about the last banking transaction you made.
Qatar Central Bank calls for prevention of fraud by updating the computer periodically, and updating the electronic browser and all its accompanying functions periodically.
In addition to downloading and updating firewalls, spam blockers, antivirus programs, and antispyware programs to protect your device. Focus on never printing private and confidential information on shared or public devices, in addition to reviewing banking transactions periodically in case of suspicion of any unusual transaction in your account, contact the bank immediately.
Top Tips
The Central Bank also advised changing passwords for email and electronic banking accounts periodically, and not to respond to emails with personal information.
Qatar Central Bank also called on not to respond to any email or call requesting personal or banking information such as credit card number, bank account number, ID number, name or phone number, in addition to verifying the identity of the caller before providing any of your personal information and immediately calling the call center, and not opening or downloading email attachments unless you expect them, and avoid clicking on links that arrive via email unless you expect them to arrive, such as links to change passwords. In addition to printing the bank’s website in the same browser, if you want to browse the bank’s website.
Contact the bank
The Central Bank also recommended that you immediately inform the bank of any suspicious email or call you receive inquiring about your banking information and bank news in the event that you provide banking or personal information via phone or email, and that you must immediately change your email or bank account passwords if you suspect that they have been hacked, and contact the bank immediately if you receive a message on your phone regarding an unfamiliar banking transaction.
Qatar Central Bank called on bank customers and account holders to investigate and avoid responding to any email with the following specifications: If it contains spelling and grammatical errors – If it asks you for personal information – If it fabricates a very important case – If it does not contain the bank’s logo, signature and contact information – Do not respond to any email or call asking you for your bank account password or secret number.
Qatar Central Bank stressed the need to shop from secure websites that use the latest technology to protect, confidentiality and integrity of financial information, stressing the importance of avoiding fraudulent websites that appear legal and are professionally designed to collect private information from visitors who lack awareness.