RIYADH – In the wake of increasing scam and fraudulent activities, Saudi Telecom Company (STC) reminds its customers to beware of unsolicited suspicious calls. Saudi Telecom has learned that some fraudsters posing to be Saudi Telecom employees are calling STC customers in an attempt to defraud them. These calls can be local or international, in which the suspect usually announces to the customers that they've won a prize or a lottery, and informs the customers that to claim the prize, they would need to transfer money to a certain account, or to send a rechargeable card or reveal sensitive and personal information such as PIN numbers or the bank account number. The GM of Corporate Communications at STC, Nawaaf Al Shalani, reiterated that these are fraudulent calls that STC has warned about in the past, following reports by customers of such calls. He advised customers not to disclose any confidential information like bank account details, PIN or eVoucher /rechargeable card numbers to unknown callers on the phone or through SMS or email. Al Shalani added that STC follows a clear guideline to market its products and services through accredited and well-known media outlets. He reiterated that the official distributors and retailers for STC are chosen very carefully and in accordance with strict guidelines that guarantees the security and best interest of its clients. Meanwhile, STC is giving away many valuable prizes during its “10 years. SAWA stronger” campaign, which runs every 2 weeks for 10 months. The prizes range from BMW cars, smart phones, to various services. The campaign is aimed exclusively at SAWA customers who renew or verify their personal information. The campaign comes in correlation with the new regulation set by the Communication and Information Technology Commission (CITC) on SIM cards which mandates customers to input their national identification number (iqama) immediately after entering their prepaid card number to charge SIM cards, recharge, or transfer balances. – SG
