Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Cairo has warned against online Hajj scams that promise pilgrims fast-track services.
The embassy said in a statement on Saturday that those wishing to perform the pilgrimage in the kingdom should make sure that the name of the Hajj services provider is listed on the official website of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
Last year, scammers disseminated advertisements via Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp with the promise that they provide “all-inclusive packages”.
After they receive payment, they fail to deliver any of the services, including air tickets, accommodation and transportation.
Ambassador Osama bin Ahmed Naqli, who also serves as Saudi Arabia's permanent representative to the Arab League, said that every year as Hajj season approaches, the embassy starts to monitor advertisements through social media.
“Some of these sites are fake and fabricated, they work outside the system and outside the offices that work in co-operation between Saudi Arabia and Egypt,” the embassy statement said.
However, this is not unique to Egypt.
Earlier this week, Mohammed Al Qirshi, a board member of the Executive Committee for Hajj companies, warned against scammers in Saudi Arabia that reappear on the market in the months leading up to Hajj season.
Hajj fraud is prevalent throughout the world as booking a trip to perform the pilgrimage cannot be done without the aid of local offices delegated by the Saudi authorities.
Each country can be designated more than one service provider through the countries’ respective Hajj authorities.
But third-party offices can also handle cases and provide expedited Hajj travel arrangements.
That is often the guise used by scammers when trying to lure Hajj-goers into signing up last-minute for the pilgrimage.
Read more: Saudi launches new Hajj website for Qataris despite efforts to block
Last year, at least 17 British Muslims fell victim to fraudsters, according to Action Fraud, a UK-based National Fraud and Cyber Crime reporting centre.
They lost between Dh4,000 and Dh158,000 in the UK to these fraudsters posing as Hajj services providers.
According to the institute, however, only three per cent of victims report being victims of a Hajj scam.
Muslims unfit to perform Hajj, typically for health reasons, can achieve the mandatory pilgrimage by paying for someone else to perform it on their behalf as a form of charity.
This, too, is used by scammers to try to trick people into signing up last-minute for the Hajj.
As Hajj season approaches — on Eid Al Adha that is expected to fall on August 22 this year— people will post advertisements for Muslims wanting to perform the Hajj but who cannot afford it.
By luring people into thinking they will be paying for someone else's Hajj, scammers can receive payments from multiple sources to fund a single real case of a low-income Muslim looking to perform Hajj. Payments can reach up to Dh10,000.
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Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
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Types of fraud
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.
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.
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.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
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.
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.
* Nada El Sawy
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Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)