Saudi Arabia cautioned its citizens and expatriates living in the kingdom on Wednesday to beware of fraudsters who would use their identity documents in "criminal and terrorist acts."
"The interior ministry draws the attention of citizens and residents to the emergence of new methods ... of theft and fraud by individuals and sides outside" the Saudi kingdom, said a ministry statement quoted by the official SPA news agency.
These sides, claiming to offer their potential victims money "under the guise of trade deals or humanitarian acts," ask for "photocopies of official documents and go on to use these documents and the names of their owners in acts of theft and fraud or in terrorist operations meant to harm Muslims and their home countries or countries of residence," it added.
Advanced technology, mainly the Internet and mobile phone text messages, have helped spread such methods, the ministry conveyed, making it much easier to use photocopies of IDs in "criminal and terrorist acts."
The ministry called upon its citizens and residents to inform authorities of any suspicious contact by a party outside the kingdom. (Albawaba.com)
