If you are an Uber customer, be cautious of receiving scam messages asking you to claim a parcel at 'Qatar Post', money from 'Hukoomi', or bonus points from Ooredoo.

The team at ILoveQatar.net (ILQ) has compiled a list of these messages currently circulating in Qatar.

Please exercise caution and remain vigilant of any other messages similar to these.

Qatar Post

• The above SMS from Uber states that a parcel from Qatar Post is waiting to be delivered. The message also has a link which informs the recipient to verify the address by clicking on it.

• Once the link is clicked, it directs the recipient to another link in a different language, mentioning that the domain has currently expired.

The ILQ team reached out to Qatar Post asking for clarification regarding the above-mentioned message and this was their reply:

"These are fraudulent messages. Please do not enter the link or pay any fees. For further inquiries, please contact the hotline 104 to ensure the reliability of the information."

Bonus points to claim rewards

• In this message from Uber, the recipient is informed that their bonus points will expire soon and urges the customer to click a link to claim rewards.

• The link redirects customers to a fake Ooredoo page, with the domain name llkigfds.site where they can check their bonus points by entering their phone numbers.

The ILQ team reached out to Ooredoo regarding the messages and received the below response concerning the fake page.

Please be advised that Ooredoo does not contact customers via any application nor through any government entities, nor will we ever request any information related to your personal credentials via phone, SMS or email. You may also report this case to the Cyber Crime department on 2347333 or at [email protected], as well as to [email protected] to directly report the case to us as well. For further assistance on reporting fraud, please refer to the following video https://youtu.be/DY8LjquHMpE.

Note: Individuals who provide such information will be responsible for damages that may occur, thank you for your understanding.

They have also shared the following video to beware users of fraud prevention.

Hukoomi

• The above message from Uber opens to a text from Hukoomi, a Qatar e-government portal. The fake Hukoomi message asks the recipient to click the link to receive a living subsidy amount worth QR 4,124.

• Upon clicking the link, the recipient is redirected to a fake Hukoomi landing page.

• The recipient is then asked to register with personal information such as their name, contact details, address, email address, and credit/debit card details to receive a payment towards 'Cost of Living Support'.

Uber Qatar has confirmed to the ILQ team that these are spam messages and they have taken note of it.

What should I do when I receive scam messages, and where should I report them?

These fake messages are commonly referred to as "phishing" scams, which aim to trick people into giving up personal and sensitive information such as credit card details.

It's important to verify the sender's name and number, even if the message appears to be from a reputable company. If the message seems questionable, it's best not to reply. Never click on links in the message's body if it seems suspicious.

You can report scams to the respective company directly or to the Ministry of Interior (MOI) and Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA). Find the details below:

Ministry of Interior (MOI): In case of any scam or suspicious online activity, the MOI urges people to contact the Cyber Crime Investigation Centre:

• Call: +974 4234 7444 or +974 6681 5757
• E-mail: [email protected]

Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA): The Communications Regulatory Authority urges residents to share their scam stories related to mobiles, calls, or spam at:

• Email: [email protected].

RELATED:

• Scams in Qatar and how to avoid them
• Watch out for phishing scam in Qatar
• Cyber crimes in Qatar: The law and how to report them

Have you experienced this or other messaging scams in Qatar? Do let us know in the comment section and share the article - it keeps us going!

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ILQ Staff

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