In response to public concern about an increase in “scam” calls, Ooredoo yesterday urged customers to report suspicious numbers to the company.

Many residents say they have seen an increase in the number of missed calls from unregistered numbers from overseas in recent weeks, particularly originating from Belarus, Latvia and Senegal. When the owner calls back, they find it is a premium number that charges their account.

Ooredoo said it was actively working with police services and overseas operators to trace and report these numbers.

As part of this advice, Ooredoo’s security experts recommend that customers do not answer or call back international numbers that they do not recognise and do not send SMS or short codes to organisations that they do not know.

The company is also continuing to upgrade the range of security features available to customers. The Ooredoo App offers a “block list” feature that enables customers to block unwanted calls and SMS by inserting the sender’s number.

Customers simply need to download the latest version of the Ooredoo App for free via the Google or iTunes Store and register to begin a “block list”. Customers can add and remove names from the block list 24/7.

Ooredoo is also working to eliminate scam calls from foreign countries by using the latest scanning technology to identify suspicious multiple calls and by blocking calls and SMS from suspicious numbers. Customers can report any suspicious numbers by dialling 111 and Ooredoo will take immediate action.

Executives at Ooredoo stressed that the company did not sell or provide external organisations with customer records such as telephone numbers and that customer service representatives will never ask for key information such as bank details on calls.

For more details on the Ooredoo App and further security tips and features, customers may visit the Ooredoo website at www.ooredoo.qa