Amman, Aug. 4 (Petra) — Information technology experts said that
continuous awareness is an important measure in addressing electronic
fraud, noting that such crimes often rely on exploiting limited
technical knowledge or creating fear and urgency among victims.

Speaking to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), the experts said
electronic fraud methods continue to develop alongside technological
progress and digital transformation. They explained that fraudsters
exploit citizens’ trust in official institutions by sending fake text
messages impersonating government entities to carry out fraudulent
activities and obtain financial information.

Mohammad Al-Kasasbeh, a computer science and network security
specialist at Princess Sumaya University for Technology, said
awareness is a key factor in reducing electronic fraud, as these
crimes often depend on misleading users and influencing their
decisions through pressure and urgency.

He said limiting such crimes requires continuous awareness campaigns
through media outlets, educational programs in schools and
universities, and workshops targeting employees and community
members. These programs should introduce common fraud methods,
including fake text messages, impersonation of government entities or
banks, fake offers, and messages requesting updates to personal or
banking information.

Al-Kasasbeh said awareness efforts should emphasize that official
institutions and financial organizations do not request passwords,
verification codes, or sensitive banking details through suspicious
messages or untrusted links.

He added that users should be trained to identify signs of fraud
before opening links or following instructions received through
messages. Fraudulent messages often use alarming language, such as
claims of traffic violations or urgent payment requests, while
website addresses may differ from official domains.

He stressed the importance of checking website addresses carefully,
accessing government and banking services through official websites
or approved applications, avoiding unknown attachments, not sharing
one-time verification codes, enabling multi-factor authentication,
and regularly updating devices and security software.

Al-Kasasbeh said preventing electronic fraud requires cooperation
between individuals, institutions, and relevant authorities through
issuing alerts about new fraud attempts, providing reporting channels
for suspicious messages and websites, and raising awareness about the
differences between legitimate and fraudulent communications.

He advised users who suspect a fraudulent message not to open links
or respond to the sender, but to keep a copy of the message, block
the number, report the impersonated entity, and notify the relevant
authorities. If personal or banking information has been shared,
users should change passwords, contact their banks, and review their
accounts for any suspicious activity.

Information technology consultant Engineer Abdulhamid Al-Rahamnneh
said electronic fraud methods are developing alongside technological
advances and digital transformation. He noted that fraudsters can now
use text messages, fake websites, or phone calls to obtain data or
carry out financial scams.

He said electronic fraud includes phishing messages, fake websites,
impersonation of banks and government institutions, and calls in
which criminals present themselves as official employees.

Al-Rahamnneh explained that the increased use of electronic services
has provided opportunities for fraudsters to exploit public trust by
creating messages that appear legitimate but aim to obtain personal
information or money.

He referred to fraudulent text messages recently circulated in Jordan
claiming that speeding violations had been registered and asking
recipients to click a link to settle the violation. He said such
messages contain indicators showing they are phishing attempts.

He explained that some of these messages include links ending with
“gov-jo.top”, while official Jordanian government websites use the
“gov.jo” domain, indicating that such links are not affiliated with
government entities.

He said fraudsters often rely on creating a sense of urgency through
messages requesting immediate action or warning of additional
penalties. He added that fraudulent messages can also be identified
by the absence of details normally included in official
notifications, such as vehicle number, violation number, date, time,
and location.

Digital transformation and modern technologies consultant Bilal
Al-Hafnawi said the expansion of digital services has been
accompanied by changes in electronic fraud methods, with criminals
using fake messages that impersonate official entities.

He said SMS phishing and fake government links are among the methods
used in recent electronic fraud attempts. He added that suspicious
messages often rely on unofficial domains or addresses designed to
resemble official websites.

Al-Hafnawi explained that fraudulent messages are often sent randomly
to large numbers of users and usually lack personal details included
in official notifications. He noted that fraudsters use psychological
pressure by suggesting limited timeframes or additional penalties to
encourage quick responses.

He said these links may direct users to fake payment pages designed
to collect bank card information, security codes, or install
malicious software that can access data or devices.

Al-Hafnawi called on citizens not to open links received from unknown
numbers and to verify government services through official channels,
including the Sanad application, the eFAWATEERcom application, or the
official website of the Traffic Department. He also stressed the
importance of not sharing one-time passwords (OTP) or bank card
information through unofficial links or websites.

//Petra//WH