An official source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today that recently some gangs pretending to be bosses of foreign firms or their authorized representatives have managed to drag Saudi citizens to deal in false trade. Using SMSs and telephone calls from outside the Kingdom and unknown trading titles, the tricksters claim they are dealing in gold, precious stones and other metals. The source added that, in light of experience, such deceptions threat security and safety of citizens, exposing them to kidnapping and detention for the sake of extortion and bargaining. Hence, the all citizens should not fall into such traps by running after false financial gains offered by those parties, the source added. The Ministry explained that all any citizen should not deal with such parties, be them individuals or firms, in order to make commercial or trade transactions unless he gets a green light from the respective Saudi embassy abroad which would provide him/them with correct information to evade being kidnapped or blackmailed. -- SPA
