MUSCAT: The Consumer Protection Authority has recorded 1,444 cases of commercial fraud until the end of 2021 and 53 fraudulent goods and services were seized by the authority.

A total of 250 complaints and 627 complaints related to commercial fraud were received by the end of 2021, according to statistics issued by the authority.

On Sunday, the authority will be launching the commercial fraud campaign ‘Keep on the original’. The campaign’s objectives revolve around three main aspects, namely introducing the legal articles in the Unified Commercial Fraud Law and its executive regulations, informing the consumer of consumer practices that are considered commercial fraud, as well as introducing the provider to the penalties for practising commercial fraud.

The campaign comes in accordance with an innovative media plan that deals with both sides of the consumer process in order to bring consumer awareness of the risks of commercial fraud and to enable the provider to stay away from any practices that could be considered commercial fraud.

The phenomenon of commercial fraud is a global phenomenon, and a person familiar with global events finds many cases of fraud and renewable and innovative methods in this field by weak-minded people, and the Sultanate of Oman’s markets are not free of fraudulent products, and the Arab Gulf region is one of the areas most affected by fraudulent goods.

The Consumer Protection Authority aims to pay great attention to the awareness and educational aspect of the dangers of the phenomenon, by spreading awareness in the various media, holding lectures and participating in various events to raise awareness of commercial fraud and its negative effects on the consumer and how to protect oneself and their family from it.