5 common scams you should look out for in Ramadan

Scammers may target believers to prey on their kindness and faith during holidays and faith-based celebrations.

Look out for yourself and others when it comes to the following fraud attempts.

1. Begging
You may fall victim to beggars who try to take advantage of believers during Ramadan. In Dubai, authorities have an anti-begging campaign during Ramadan in which they patrol public places to round up beggars. Practice caution when interacting with beggars and if possible donate to communities or charities.

2. Fake charity appeals
Watch out for charity appeals to donate to current issues or causes. The United Kingdom Charity Commission had to issue a warning alerting people about fake fundraisers, especially for victims of the earthquake in Turkey. Make sure to do simple checks to make sure your donation is going to the intended destination.

3. Voucher scam
You may get online shopping vouchers that claim to give you discounts for Ramadan. Scammers usually send them as links on WhatsApp which links lead you to a page where you are required to fill in personal data. If you get a link from an unknown number, ignore it.

4. Loan scam
Money lenders are on the rise especially online. They claim to have quick loans with high value and little to no collateral. They may offer Ramadan bonuses which can make it easy to fall for them. However, scammers usually give links that take personal data which can lead to loss of money and important information.

5. Holiday wins
Another way scammers use to trap people during Ramadan is by telling you that you won a prize in the season bonus by phone or another channel. They can claim to be affiliated with banks, e-commerce businesses, or other financial institutions. They may ask for sensitive information that may lead to loss of money.

Also, watch out for data update scammers. They may send you a link that resembles that of your service provider to try and get you to re-enter your data which can then be used to access your accounts.

Several scams happen during Ramadan. The list may be bigger than the one above but they can all be avoided by being vigilant and responsible with money and personal data.