RIYADH, 23 May — Saudi Arabia yesterday cautioned its citizens and expatriate workers to beware of people outside the Kingdom who could use their IDs for criminal and terrorist operations.
In a statement, the Interior Ministry drew the attention of the public to the emergence of a new method of theft and fraud by individuals and parties outside the Kingdom.
These parties, claiming to offer their potential victims money “under the guise of trade deals or humanitarian acts,” request photocopies of official documents. “They will then use these documents and the names of their owners in acts of theft and fraud or in terrorist operations,” it said.
Advanced technology, chiefly the Internet and mobile phone text messages, have helped spread such methods, the ministry said, making it easier to use photocopies of IDs in “criminal and terrorist operations.” The ministry urged citizens and residents to inform authorities of any suspicious contact by a party outside the Kingdom.
