Several smartphone users received calls from local numbers demanding an immediate update of their records with telecommunications companies by providing a high-quality copy of their identity card, or face disconnection. According to the callers, users could either disclose their identity details over the phone or send a photograph of the card through WhatsApp for a quick update. Alternatively, they could hang up and contact the police.
Al Roeya reported some of these numbers, along with the times and duration of the suspicious calls, to Abu Dhabi Police's Aman service, which deals with fraud.
According to customer service representatives contacted by Al Roeya, telecommunications companies in the UAE never request customer data updates by telephone. The procedure requires visiting a company branch, bringing an identity card and providing a fingerprint to verify the details.
Fraudulent Gains
Information technology experts identified five ways criminals can misuse identity cards, their numbers and the personal information they obtain, potentially implicating victims in cases that may be criminal. These include applying for bank loans or credit cards in the identity holder's name, obtaining a SIM card in the victim's name, and transferring money domestically or abroad.
Information security consultant and technical performance development expert Abdalnour Sami said obtaining personal data or an identity card copy enables specialised fraud gangs to apply for loans with the help of their contacts at some banks, obtain credit cards, transfer money into or out of the country in the victim's name, attribute a cybercrime such as account theft to the victim, or obtain a SIM card and use it to implicate the identity holder.
Sami said such information is like Aladdin's lamp for these gangs. Victims may discover that they face numerous cases, potentially criminal, involving acts they never committed.
He said that anyone who must provide an identity card copy for any purpose should clearly write on it the date and the purpose for which it is supplied, and provide a paper rather than an electronic copy. He warned against sending identity card images to anyone through WhatsApp, describing it as equivalent to signing a blank document for unknown people.
Source: Al Roeya