scam SMSThe scam will go like this.

A person, usually Arabic speaking, contacts you by your mobile number, telling you won 200, 000 Saudi Riyals. He will say that you won by a raffle made by STC or Mobily. He will ask you to confirm your mobile number by reading the SMS he will send. The message will be named after STC or Mobily, but of course it will be suspicious. The SMS states also a password.

Please do not disclose your temporary password to anyone, even to an STC representative. Your temporary password is 365462.

But then, he will ask you about the password.

Checking the Internet for similar scam, you will know there are similar incidents of scam activity involving a fraudulent calls. When proceeded, here are some other things that will happen.

  • The scammer will ask you to buy a prepaid card load and you will give them the PIN code as a requirement to process your price.
  • The fraudulent price will be processed through bank transfer like in Al Rajhi Bank.
  • To get your attention also, the scam person also will tell you that your STC sim serial number 899660 is in the list of the lucky draw. If you will check your SIM card, it is actually starts with this number.
  • The incoming call number that will appear on your phone seems legitimate like in my case it was 0535491083.
  • All similar stories can be searched on the Internet with the same price of “You won 200,000 SAR”.

I never knew that this kind of fraudulent activity may happen in Saudi Arabia wherein there is strict registration of mobile SIM cards. Mobile numbers in Saudi Arabia is required to register under your name and Iqama or national ID. Good thing, I sensed it was suspicious when the scam caller asked me to disclose what I received from SMS message, wherein it contradicts what it was stated.