⏱️ Scammed or unsure? 60-second plan
1 · Protect money
Call your bank's fraud line now — the number on the back of your card. Freeze the card and ask them to reverse any payments.
2 · Keep evidence
Screenshot texts, emails, caller numbers and payment screens. Change passwords and turn on 2-step verification.
3 · Report it
Report through your country's official channel — see the report page.
📌 More help: Report → · Help & support
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Silver Surfers — Staying Safe Online in the Gulf
A friendly, no-jargon guide for older adults using the internet with confidence — phone scams, family-emergency calls, fake fines and the golden rules that stop them. For grandparents across the Gulf.
⚔️ WE FEAR NO ONE · لا نخشى أحدًا
🥇 The Golden Rules
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Never give personal info over the phone
Your bank, the police or any government body will NEVER call asking for your PIN, password or OTP.
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Don’t tap links in texts or emails
Messages about fines, parcels or bank blocks are how scammers start. Go to the official app or website yourself.
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Show a family member before you pay
The family rule that stops most scams: nobody pays a fine, fee or prize without a quick show-and-tell first.
📞 Phone scams — what to do
1) If a caller claims to be your bank, the police or a government office — hang up. 2) Do not press any numbers they ask you to press. 3) Call back on the official number printed on your card or the official app. 4) Tell a family member — you will never be in trouble for checking.
👴 The family-emergency call (“grandchild scam”)
Someone calls pretending to be your son, daughter or grandchild — upset, in trouble, needing money urgently and begging you not to tell anyone. Stop. Ask a question only your real relative could answer, then call them on their real number. Agree a family code word in advance.
📮 Prize & lottery letters and messages
A message or letter says you won a lottery, prize draw or sweepstake — but you must pay a fee to claim it. No real prize draw asks for money upfront. If you have to pay to collect, it is a scam — show it to family and delete it.
💳 “Courier collecting your card” scam
A caller says your card is compromised and a courier will collect it — never true. No bank, police or official sends a courier for your card. Hang up, wait five minutes, and call the number on the back of your card. Never hand your card or PIN to anyone.
🏦 Fake fines, fees & “your account is blocked”
Scammers copy official wording for traffic fines, government fees and bank alerts. Real fines and charges are checked inside official apps and portals — never paid through a link in a message. When in doubt, ask a younger family member to help you check.
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Emergency numbers (police)
UAE 999 · Saudi Arabia 911 · Qatar 999 · Kuwait 112 · Bahrain 999 · Oman 9999
For banking fraud, call the number on the back of your card — never a number from a message or caller.
🆘 Scammed or worried? Save every message, tell someone you trust, and use the official reporting channel for your country. Report →