Residents abandoned their Sharjah apartment block on Sunday after a fire swept through the 12-storey building.
The blaze is understood to have broke out at about 1pm on the fifth floor of the building, before spreading to upper levels.
The tower is in Al Majaz 2 neighbourhood, near Jamal Abdul Naser street.
Sharjah Civil Defence crews were joined by police and ambulance at the scene.
“We heard alarms and saw smoke from an apartment in the upper floors. People were running outside the building in panic. Police patrols and firefighters came quickly,” said a worker in a cafeteria near the building.
“The alarm went on around 1pm.”
The fire was quickly brought under control and no deaths or injuries were recorded.
The cause of the blaze, which is understood to have started in a apartment unit, has not yet been disclosed.
Authorities have been contacted for further comment.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
