Muscat – The ROP has issued a statement to alert public about a fraudulent method in which perpetrators impersonate the CBO on platforms such as WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Instagram. They lure victims with promises of soft loan facilities and trick them into providing personal and banking information through fraudulent links. This information is then used to unlawfully withdraw money from the victims’ bank accounts.

The ROP advises citizens and residents to ignore such messages and avoid clicking on attached links unless they are sure of its reliability. It is also calling on people to avoid disclosing personal data or banking information on social media, noting that the Central Bank of Oman is not concerned with providing personal and housing loans or any other banking services to individuals.