How to Report Cybercrime and Online Fraud in Oman (2026)
Scammed or hacked in Oman? Who to call (9999, cyber-extortion 80077444), how to file a complaint with the ROP and report to OCERT, and how to try to get your money back.
Oman has its own police cybercrime channel, national CERT and a central bank rule that puts more of the burden on banks than in most of the region, so if you are scammed or hacked here, you report to Omani authorities, not to any foreign agency. Whether the fraud came through a phishing link, a fake job offer or a spoofed delivery text, this guide shows you exactly who to contact, how to preserve evidence, and how to try to get your money back. Act fast: the sooner you tell your bank, the better your odds.
Primary sources: Royal Oman Police (ROP) · Oman National CERT (OCERT) · Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) · Central Bank of Oman
On this page
First: stop the loss
- Contact your bank or card issuer immediately. If you sent money or shared card details, call the number on your card or statement, report the fraud, and ask the bank to stop or recall the payment and freeze the account. For card payments, ask about a chargeback. Our chargeback guide explains how.
- Stop all contact with the scammer. Never send more money to "release" or "verify" funds, and never install remote-access software a caller asks for. That is the scam. Block the number, email and account.
- Secure your accounts by changing passwords, signing out other devices and turning on two-step verification. If you clicked a link, see what to do after clicking a phishing link.
- Keep evidence: screenshots of messages, payment references, phone numbers, account details and the URL of any fake site.
Who to report to
- Emergency or a crime in progress: call 9999, Oman's official unified emergency number (112 redirects to it).
- Filing a criminal complaint for fraud or cybercrime: file with the Royal Oman Police through the Gov.om portal using your THEQA or Oman ID login, within three months, for a 10 OMR fee.
- Blackmail, sextortion or online extortion: call the ROP's dedicated cyber-extortion helpline on 80077444.
- Suspicious phone numbers, links or phishing messages: report through the TRA's Turs platform at turs.tra.gov.om.
- A cyberattack or technical vulnerability: report to the Oman National CERT (OCERT) at cert.gov.om.
Reporting does not by itself return your money, but it creates an official record and feeds national intelligence on fraud patterns. Report even if you lost nothing, because the information still helps stop the next victim.
Getting your money back
Oman uses the Omani rial (OMR). How you paid decides your options, and speed is everything.
| How you paid | What to do |
|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Call your bank within minutes to try to stop or recall the payment. Under Central Bank of Oman rules, banks can be held liable for fraud, phishing and card fraud, so file a formal claim even if the first response is a refusal. |
| Debit or credit card | Ask your card issuer for a chargeback and dispute the transaction in writing. Card payments carry the strongest protection. |
| Cash deposit, e-wallet or crypto | Rarely recoverable. Report to the platform and the ROP at once, and beware "recovery agents" who contact you afterward, that is usually a second scam. |
Oman stands out regionally: the Central Bank of Oman's Financial Consumer Protection Regulatory Framework (Circular BM 1184, 2021) puts liability on banks for fraud, phishing and card-fraud losses in many cases. That is not a blanket guarantee, so still report promptly and escalate a refused claim to the Central Bank of Oman.
Scams that hit Oman
The Royal Oman Police reported cyber fraud cases up more than 50 percent in the first half of 2025, and have warned about:
- Phishing, vishing and e-commerce fraud, the leading categories, alongside a rise in identity-theft cases.
- Crypto investment scams and fake job offers, both increasing sharply, often promising unrealistic returns or overseas employment that requires an upfront "fee."
- Fake police or officer-impersonation profiles on social media and messaging apps, used to threaten victims or demand payment.
The ROP, Central Bank of Oman, TRA and Public Prosecution run a joint "Don't Be Deceived" awareness campaign on these patterns. See how the underlying messaging trick works in our explainer on how phishing works and how to stop it.
The law and your data
Cybercrime in Oman, including unauthorised access and online fraud, is prosecuted under the Cyber Crime Law, Royal Decree No. 12/2011, in force since 16 February 2011. This is separate from the Cyber Defence Centre set up under Royal Decree 64/2020 for national cyber-defence infrastructure, not individual crime reporting. Personal data is protected under the Personal Data Protection Law, Royal Decree 6/2022, enforced by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT), with Executive Regulations from 2024 and full enforceability from 5 February 2026. The exact breach-notification timeframe has not been fully detailed in public guidance, so do not assume a specific notice deadline until MTCIT publishes clearer rules.
FAQ
Can I report an Oman-based scam to my home country's fraud agency instead?
You can also inform your own country's authorities, especially if you are a resident or visitor, but the crime happened under Omani jurisdiction. File with the Royal Oman Police through Gov.om, or use the TRA's Turs platform for phishing and suspicious numbers, so local investigators can act.
My email or social media account was hacked. Who do I tell?
Secure the account first: change the password, sign out other devices and turn on two-step verification. Report the incident to OCERT if it involves a broader system compromise, and to the ROP if money, identity or business communications were affected.
I only received a suspicious message and lost nothing. Should I still report it?
Yes. Reporting suspicious numbers and links through Turs, and scam calls to the ROP, helps authorities track offenders and warn others, even when no money changed hands. Keep a screenshot before you block the sender.
Sources: Royal Oman Police · Oman National CERT (OCERT) · TRA · Central Bank of Oman
If you have been targeted, you are not alone. See our country-by-country cybercrime help hub for step-by-step reporting and recovery guides.