Pakistani expats in Saudi Arabia warned of ongoing scam

RIYADH - The Pakistani community residing in Saudi Arabia has been warned of an ongoing scam which can deprive them of their hard-earned money.

Pakistan's embassy in Saudi Arabia has warned against sharing private information over phone calls. In a social media post on Wednesday, the embassy warned that by sharing private information, one can face financial loss.

'A well organized gang is behind those calls which have nothing to do with interior ministry,' the embassy clarified.

انتباہ: سعودی عرب میں مقیم پاکستانیوں کو خبردار کیا جاتا ہے کہ ایسی کالز پر توجہ نہ دیں جس میں ذاتی معلومات یا اکاؤنٹ نمبر طلب کیا جائے- معلومات دینے والے شخص کو مالی نقصان بھی پہنچ سکتا ہے۔ یہ کالز منظم گروہوں کی جانب سے کی جا رہی ہیں اور وزارت داخلہ سے ان کا کوئ تعلق نہیں ہے۔

— Pakistan Embassy Saudi Arabia (@PakinSaudiArab) January 25, 2023

The scams over phone calls are becoming rampant with each passing day. Irrespective of location, incidents have been reported wherein people who shared their private information like account number, ATM pin were deprived of their money through highly sophisticated techniques.

With the advent of online banking and digitalization, the scammers have been taking advantage of the innocence of the people; however, authorities warn against sharing any kind of information to unauthorized officials.