ismail@khaleejtimes.com Filed on April 2, 2019 | Last updated on April 2, 2019 at 07.33 pm

In collaboration with the Ajman Police, the Abu Dhabi Police tracked down the Asian nationals and nabbed them in an apartment in Ajman.

A gang of 24 men, suspected of defrauding people through phone scams that involve bogus cash prizes, has been arrested, the Abu Dhabi Police said on Tuesday (April 2).

In collaboration with the Ajman Police, the Abu Dhabi Police tracked down the Asian nationals and nabbed them in an apartment in Ajman.

According to Brig Imran Ahmed Al Mazrouei, director of CID at the Abu Dhabi Police, the suspects have been making random phone calls to residents, promising them bogus cash prizes.

He said the recent incident comes on the heels of two similar cases in February, where the Abu Dhabi Police arrested Asian gangs that were involved in phone scams.

In the previous incidents, the Abu Dhabi Financial Prosecutors said they had referred 24 men to court for trial, after investigations suggested that they cheated people by telling them they've won prizes and claiming that they were working for big companies in the UAE.

Prosecutors said the suspects had made a phone call to a resident and told him that he had won Dh500,000 in prize money. The men then allegedly asked him to transfer some money as processing charge for the prize. Reportedly, the men had given the victim the number on his SIM card - telling him that it was a secret number - just to convince him that their claims were genuine.

In the latest incident, Al Mazrouei said the perpetrators asked the victims to transfer phone credits as processing charges for the cash prizes.

Col Sultan Al Kaabi, a CID officer, said: "Several mobile phones that were being used to call the victims and defraud them were seized from the apartment."

Methods used by phone fraudsters

>They make calls or sometimes send messages to people claiming they have won big cash prizes through their service providers

>They would then tell the mobile phone users to send money through money exchange offices or send them telephone recharge cards as charges for processing the prizes

>Once the victim sends money, the criminal switches off the mobile phone and disappears

How to avoid being duped

>Be alert when you receive phone calls and messages that inform you about winning huge prizes

>Disconnect immediately when the caller asks you to send any money or phone credit

>Never reveal your bank or card details,pin numbers, eVouchers or recharge card numbers to unknown callers

>Never transfer money to people you don't know as such transactions could reveal your bank details

>Report the callers to 8002626

ismail@khaleejtimes.com