Jeddah police have warned all residents against a new method of conning to collect donations for charity.
It said some thieves impersonated government officials, using their names in telephone calls or e-mails, to ask for money to be used in welfare projects.
The police said the caller or the e-mail sender would use the name of a famous person or well-known government officials and ask the recipient (of the call or the mail) for financial assistance to a charity project. Police revealed that a number of impersonators had been caught and were now facing trial in Shariah courts. They asked recipients of such messages to report to police in their area immediately.
According to police, the thieves visit social media sites, pick up their victims who are known contributors to charity and send them messages in the names of famous people asking them for financial assistance to certain charity or humanitarian projects.
Police said some victims were asked to donate for the construction of mosques, the digging of wells or the purchase of electricity generators for remote villages, which were still without electricity.
"It turned out that these villages were only imaginary and never existed," police said.
Jeddawis warned against a new gang of con men
