JEDDAH, 19 October 2007 — The organizers of a bogus telephone Ramadan competition that asked people to use a SR10 per minute telephone line are estimated to have illegally earned SR150 million over the blessed month, Al-Madinah newspaper reported.
People were contacted by SMS text messages asking them to participate in the competition and win a SR1 million prize. It is estimated that 1 million calls were processed by the STC. Each call lasted between 10 and 15 minutes, and cost SR10 per minute.
The organizers are estimated to have earned between SR100 and SR150 million. Victims also included Saudi Telecom Company (STC) employees.
An STC official said the fraudsters had misused its services. He said that the company’s aim was to offer advanced and diversified services to customers besides increasing the STC’s revenue and profit. He added that STC could not be held responsible if its services are misused.
One telecommunication source urged victims to come forward and complain to the authorities. “Silence will only encourage the crooks to resort to bigger swindling techniques and target more people.”
