Any body heard about this?!!!
I received this weird story this morning from my colleague
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I would like to inform you all of a very serious incident that occurred with one of my colleague on the 22nd July, 2008 near the DASMAN CENTRE in NAJMA.
He was traveling in his car from office back to his residence in OLD GHANIM along with two of my other colleagues, who were to be dropped at their respective residences. One of them was dropped in the Al Mansoura area and the other one at NAJMA behind Dasman Centre.
The colleague he dropped at Najma, was then accosted by a stranger who introduced himself as a CID official and started asking him various questions like:
Where do you work?
What is your salary?
What is there in your bag?
Show me your ID card, ATM card etc.
He threatened him for no reason and also checked his valet. Since, this person did not find anything valuable, he asked him to call the person who dropped him for further inquiry and not to disclose that he was a CID official. My colleague got worried and called my friend to come immediately at NAJMA where he dropped him.
When my friend came back, he was questioned and his car checked by that “CID” official.
He sat in his car and asked my friend to drive to Dasman centre and after parking the car in the parking area, he ordered him to take a bank statement from the ATM to verify his transactions.
Since the mini statement was not generated, he took him to the ATM near the Hot bread Bakery where he saw his ATM PIN when he was entering the same. My friend was very tensed and worried as to what was the problem, but the “CID” told him that he would come to know in 2 – 3 days. The “CID” person took him back to the Dasman Center and told him to take photocopy of his ID card. My friend who was worried and tensed left his car keys, purse and mobile in the car as he was convinced that he was a “REAL CID” while going to take the photocopy.
On coming back, he found that this “CID” had vanished with his ATM card, mobile Phone and Qrs. 500 in cash from his valet. He also came to know that within 5 minutes this imposter has withdrawn Qrs. 4500/= from the ATM machine near Doha cinema that was in his account.
My friend was actually caught by a FRAUD CID PERSON whose intention was nothing but to steal.
Now, a police report has been lodged and investigation is going on. This is to inform all of you to be cautious and be on a look out for such type of fraudsters.
Thanks, i will pass this info to others for them to be extra careful and vigilant. just a few reminders: 1st, dont panick. 2nd, make sure to take a look of the person or persons pretending to be an agent or whatever (built,hight,color or other marks,like mole or tatoo if visible) 3rd, try to bring him or them to crowded area for your to have a change to ask for some help. then immeditely report the incident to the nearest police station
Con-sleuth
Web posted at: 7/29/2008 1:49:8
Source ::: The Peninsula/by MOHAMED SAEED
DOHA • A conman posing as a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) official allegedly put up such a convincing act that he could decamp with the victim's mobile phone, QR500 in cash and his ATM card which he used within minutes of the robbery to withdraw QR4,500.
An e-mail narrating this story of how the fake CID official conned an unsuspecting victim in Najma area is circulating among residents here.
According to the e-mail story, "a man, wearing thobe, approached the victim who dropped his friends in his car near a popular shopping centre in Doha. The swindler accosted the victim and asked questions, in the manner of a CID official. He asked him about his workplace, monthly salary and searched the car thoroughly.
"The 'CID' then took him to the nearest ATM and ordered him to use his card to take out a mini statement. Apparently he picked up the victim’s pin number in the process.
“Back in the car, “what have I done? What is all this about?" The 'CID' cunningly replied, "you will be contacted after three days. Now you go and fetch a copy of your identity card."
“The victim entered the shopping centre to get a copy of his identity card. When he returned to his car, the swindler had decamped after stealing his mobile phone, QR500 cash and ATM card, which were in the car. Within minutes the ATM card was used to withdraw an amount of QR4,500," said the e-mail.
This story circulating among resident here via e-mails is not much about whether this incident really happened, but it warns residents to be alert and watch out for such fraudsters posing as police officials.
"Impersonating a public official is a crime according to Qatar's Criminal Code," said Mohsen Dhiyab Al Suwaidi, a prominent Qatari lawyer. "The number of such cases produced in the court is certainly on the rise.
"Fraudsters generally prefer to pose as a detectives, health inspectors or municipality officials for such official enjoy judicial authority. Major targets of fraudsters are absconding workers, individuals who operate illegal taxis, visitors staying on in Qatar after their visas expired, among others. Under such mitigating circumstance, any victim would not dare to ask and ascertain the identity of the fake official. It is similar to blackmail in most cases."
According to Al Suwaidi, to avoid unpleasant consequences, the conmen follow their prey for a while before taking the final step. A number of food stores and eateries were reportedly victims of similar fraudsters.
Sometime back, the court had sentenced a man to three-year's imprisonment for posing as a police man and robbing QR700 from a worker in the Industrial Area.
Guys,if you are saying is true then how do you know if its a real CID guy? can you ask for his ID? or something to prove?
THIS incident of course should be a lesson to others..
Dude a lot of kids play around and pretend to be C.I.D because people forget C.I.D are like F.B.I they have a badge that you should ask for in the case you get interrogated by one...
--Also note: Doha prohibits the sale and possession of a walkie talkie specifically because C.I.D use them to communicate, so when you see some1 with a walkie talkie it is likely to be C.I.D (i could be wrong, it's rather an observation than a fact)
I would not even give my banking details to my Mother if she begged me !
Yeah, this was posted here a while ago and again this morning on QL