Saudi Banks Launch Campaign to Raise Awareness on New Financial Fraud Methods

The Saudi Banks Media and Awareness Committee has launched an awareness campaign tackling the latest fraud methods. 
The Saudi Banks Media and Awareness Committee has launched an awareness campaign tackling the latest fraud methods. 
TT

Saudi Banks Launch Campaign to Raise Awareness on New Financial Fraud Methods

The Saudi Banks Media and Awareness Committee has launched an awareness campaign tackling the latest fraud methods. 
The Saudi Banks Media and Awareness Committee has launched an awareness campaign tackling the latest fraud methods. 

The Saudi Banks Media and Awareness Committee has launched an awareness campaign tackling the latest fraud methods.

The initiative, "Not normal", aims to expose new methods of financial fraud that exploit technological and social advances.

The initiative focuses on the most common fraud methods, which include impersonating a bank employee, defrauding through anonymous calls and exploiting people by demanding their banking or personal information, and defrauding customers through fake online stores and phishing.

The initiative aims to expose fraud when investing in digital currencies with unknown people or companies.

It targets emotional fraud when people are exploited through a friend request on social media. People can also be deceived through lucrative job offers that sound too good to be true.

The committee warned people to be careful. It advised them against answering telephone calls from unknown numbers where the caller asks for bank details. People must be wary of fake ads and suspicious messages. They must ignore text messages and emails from unknown senders and delete them immediately.

It called on bank customers to protect their accounts and funds by strictly dealing with official authorities.

It stressed the importance of protecting their personal information, bank data and passwords and pin numbers. Moreover, customers must avoid accepting requests for assistance from strangers when using an ATM.

Customers were advised to check the credibility of online shopping websites and travelers were urged to change the password of their bank cards periodically, especially when returning from travel.

Computers must be protected with virus and malware protection programs.



Oil Up as Israel, Hezbollah Trade Accusations of Ceasefire Violation

FILE - An aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, makes an appearance over pumpjacks as they draw out oil and gas from well heads near Cremona, Alberta, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
FILE - An aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, makes an appearance over pumpjacks as they draw out oil and gas from well heads near Cremona, Alberta, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
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Oil Up as Israel, Hezbollah Trade Accusations of Ceasefire Violation

FILE - An aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, makes an appearance over pumpjacks as they draw out oil and gas from well heads near Cremona, Alberta, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
FILE - An aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, makes an appearance over pumpjacks as they draw out oil and gas from well heads near Cremona, Alberta, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

Oil prices ticked up on Thursday after Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah traded accusations that their ceasefire had been violated, and as Israeli tanks fired on south Lebanon.

OPEC+ also delayed by a few days a meeting likely to extend production cuts.

Brent crude futures edged up by 30 cents, or 0.4%, to $73.13 a barrel by 1741 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 23 cents, 0.3%, at $68.93. Trading was thin because of the US Thanksgiving holiday, Reuters reported.
Israel's military said the ceasefire was violated after what it called suspects, some in vehicles, arrived at several areas in the southern zone.
The deal, which took effect on Wednesday, was intended to allow people in both countries to start returning to homes in border areas shattered by 14 months of fighting.
The Middle East is one of the world's major oil-producing regions, and while the ongoing conflict has not so far not impacted supply it has been reflected in a risk premium for traders.
Elsewhere, OPEC+, comprising the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia, delayed its next policy meeting to Dec. 5 from Dec. 1 to avoid a conflict with another event.
Also supporting prices, OPEC+ sources have said there will again be discussion over another delay to an oil output increase scheduled for January.
"It's highly unlikely they are going to announce an increase production at this meeting," said Rory Johnston, analyst at Commodity Context.
The group pumps about half the world's oil but has maintained production cuts to support prices. It hopes to unwind those cuts, but weak global demand has forced it to delay the start of gradual increases.
A further delay has mostly been factored in to oil prices already, said Suvro Sarkar at DBS Bank. "The only question is whether it's a one-month pushback, or three, or even longer."
Depressing prices slightly, US gasoline stocks rose 3.3 million barrels in the week ending Nov. 22, the US Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday, countering expectations of a small draw in fuel stocks ahead of holiday travel.
Slowing fuel demand growth in top consumers China and the US has weighed on oil prices this year.