DUBAI // Residents are falling victim to cybercrimes that are cheating them out of hundreds of thousands of dirhams a year.
People in Dubai were conned out of more than Dh130,000 (US$35,390) over the past 14 months by SMS and e-mail messages that offered bogus lottery prizes, said Col Khalil Ibrahim al Mansouri, head of the city's Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Earlier this month, Abu Dhabi Police said it had received 14 complaints from victims of mobile-phone scams that had cheated them out of Dh120,000. The director of Abu Dhabi Police, Brig Gen Amir Mohammad Muhairi, said the figures did not reveal the scale of fraud as many victims did not report crimes.
Col al Mansouri said the cases are investigated by a CID electronics unit. According to its statistics, victims were cheated out of Dh115,960 in 2008. The department has received reports of two cases this year totalling Dh22,300.
In a typical scam, fraudsters send a message to victims saying they have won a lottery jackpot or large cash prize.
To claim the money they have to provide personal and bank account information, the message says.
Col al Mansouri said: "Some scammers will use the e-mail to announce the large winnings and send forged documents and pictures of other former 'winners'. They then ask for a fee that they say is required to open their victims a bank account in that country."
The head of Abu Dhabi CID, Col Maktoum al Sharifi, said the perceived affluence of the UAE was making its residents prime targets for cybercriminals. He added that most international calls claiming to be promoting goods or services would probably turn out to be fraudulent and aimed at stealing mobile credit.
Col al Sharifi gave the example of a woman who provided details of her e-mail account. "The scammer contacted all those on her list telling them that she was in some Asian country and was stuck after losing her money and passport. She was surprised that all her relatives and friends called her to ask if she was OK before sending her the money she wanted," he said.
Police say they have arrested many cyber scammers, most of them from Africa.
Col al Mansouri said another popular scam - generally managed from the UK or Nigeria - involved using public pay phones to contact potential victims. The fraudsters would punch in random digits after dialling the country's code.
Or, they would tap into various websites to which millions of potential victims subscribe, such as chat rooms or commercial websites and others, he said.
Col al Mansouri said police have been working closely with the telecoms provider Etisalat to block websites linked to electronic crimes. "If anyone realises they are being targeted by such bogus claims they should go to the police station in their district so that the department can begin to search for these criminals. Furthermore, we also advise people to completely disregard any such messages."
rabubaker@thenational.ae
* With additional reporting by Hassan Hasan
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Enterprise-grade%20security%20and%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Unlimited%20higher-speed%20GPT-4%20access%20with%20no%20caps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Longer%20context%20windows%20for%20processing%20longer%20inputs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Advanced%20data%20analysis%20capabilities%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customisation%20options%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shareable%20chat%20templates%20that%20companies%20can%20use%20to%20collaborate%20and%20build%20common%20workflows%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Analytics%20dashboard%20for%20usage%20insights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Free%20credits%20to%20use%20OpenAI%20APIs%20to%20extend%20OpenAI%20into%20a%20fully-custom%20solution%20for%20enterprises%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mountain%20Boy
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zainab%20Shaheen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Naser%20Al%20Messabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
UAE cricketers abroad
Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.
Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.
Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills