27 charged in mobile phone scam

Men stole thousands of dirhams' worth of phone credit by promising false prizes, police say.

SHARJAH // Twenty-seven men have been arrested in what police say was a scam to steal mobile phone minutes.

The Pakistani men told Etisalat customers they had won a drawing for a Dh250,000 prize, police said. But to collect, they needed to buy phone credit — Dh1,000 to Dh40,000 worth. That credit was then forwarded to the fraudsters' phones, police said.

Police said they began investigating after receiving several complaints. Officers identified the culprits and tracked them to their homes.

At that point, officials said, they obtained the proper warrants, staged a raid and arrested all 27 men.

Two men confessed to being behind the scheme.

A police spokesman said often people engaging in such scams would bring people into the country on visit visas, then have them call lists of victims' numbers for the next month.

The spokesman urged residents to report anyone calling to offer such false awards at 800 151 or 06-548 7000.