Doha

A senior Interior Ministry official has cautioned Qatar residents against dealing with people from outside the state who offer services like payment of traffic fines and booking of air tickets at very "attractive" rates.
Fraudulent persons operating from foreign countries use stolen or forged credit cards to pay the traffic fines and in the process gain access to their bank accounts , Brigadier Mohamed Saad al-Kharji, director of the Traffic and Patrols Department, said. The victims of these fraudsters not only lose their money but are also liable for prosecution for being partners in a criminal act, the official was quoted as saying by local Arabic daily Al Watan.
Urging the public to stay away from such fraudsters, Brig al-Kharji said people must also be very careful while using their credit cards at supermarkets or purchasing things through the Internet. "Care has to be taken so that the secret number of the credit card is not disclosed".
Explaining the modus operandi of the criminals, he said that people were contacted through the social media platforms and offered payment of fines or purchase of air tickets at a 60% discount. "Once they win the trust of the victim, they manage to gain access to their bank accounts which are then manipulated for their gains."
The official said sooner or later the Traffic Department would find out that the payment was made using a stolen or forged credit card and the transaction would be cancelled. "Thus the fine will stand as unpaid."
He said the Traffic Department had referred all the parties involved in such dealings to the Criminal Investigation Department for legal action.
First Lieutenant Midawi Saeeid al-Gahtani, an officer in the Criminal Investigation Department, told Al Watan that his department had come to know about cases where some residents have bought air tickets by availing of the services offered by the fraudsters.
"When they reach the airport they are told their tickets have been purchased using forged or stolen credit cards and hence they cannot travel," he added.