Abu Dhabi police warned the public not to fall for scam emails offering attestation of academic certificates and university admission outside the country. Colonel Tarek Khalfan Al Ghoul, deputy director of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said that Emiratis and residents are being asked to transfer large sums of money for the attestation of their academic degrees obtained abroad or for granting them a place at prestigious universities. “Three cases of online frauds were reported and the victims paid Dh627,600 to get the fake service,” said Colonel Al Ghoul. He pointed out that in all cases the fraudsters, residing abroad, disappeared once they received the money. “An Emirati women transferred Dh531,000 as a down payment on Dh900,000 total amount to get an attestation on her master’s degree obtained from an university abroad.” A Moroccan man was involved in the second case as he wanted to get an attestation of a bachelor degree that was obtained in 2014. “The connection with the fraudsters was lost after he transferred Dh80,000,” said Colonel Al Ghoul. Dh16,600 was transferred by a Lebanese man in the third fraud case in order to book a place at a prestigious university. “Investigations showed that scam emails were used for the purpose of fraud, and to gain money illegally,” he added. Colonel Al Ghoul asked the public to ensure the accuracy of the information obtained online by communicating directly with the official authorities in the country, the cultural attachés at embassies, or to communicate directly with the educational institutions abroad and to avoid relying on fraudulent intermediaries.