Ithmaar Bank, a leading Bahrain-based Islamic retail bank, has issued a warning against professional-sounding phone calls, emails or SMS messages that ask people for personal details.

Such messages are sent to possibly defraud unsuspecting customers and often designed to mislead them into thinking they come from an official source at a bank, said Mohammed Janahi, Ithmaar Bank retail banking assistant general manager.

“Some of these messages claim that customer accounts had been (or will be) suspended and that customers must immediately send their personal details in order to access their accounts again,” said Janahi.

“This may result in identity theft or other fraud. Ithmaar Bank and, presumably, all other banks in Bahrain, will never ask a customer to disclose personal information – let alone login details - by email, SMS or on the phone.”

“Unfortunately however, some of these messages can be very convincing and customers need to especially cautious and immediately report any suspicious behaviour,” he added.

“The Central Bank of Bahrain, in April, urged all Bahrain’s banks to warn their customers about these messages,” said Janahi.

“For our part, we immediately notified all our own customers through our regular correspondence channels as well and through our website - but we need to constantly remind both our customers and all banking customers in Bahrain to remain vigilant at all times, ” he concluded. – TradeArabia News Service