Cancelled mobile phone numbers in the UAE are usually held for a long period of time before being reissued to new users. Sarah Dea / The National
Cancelled mobile phone numbers in the UAE are usually held for a long period of time before being reissued to new users. Sarah Dea / The National
Cancelled mobile phone numbers in the UAE are usually held for a long period of time before being reissued to new users. Sarah Dea / The National
Cancelled mobile phone numbers in the UAE are usually held for a long period of time before being reissued to new users. Sarah Dea / The National

Dubai Police urge residents to report phone scams after increase in fraud cases


  • English
  • Arabic

The Dubai Police have issued a warning calling on residents to be vigilant about phone scams following a rise in the number of cases in which people have lost hundreds of thousands of dirhams.

Police in the UAE are co-ordinating efforts following the escalation and spread of such cases across  different emirates in which victims have fallen prey to fraudsters who speak multiple languages and often pretend to work with local telecom companies.

“People in Dubai and a nearby emirate were conned out of about Dh780,000 over the past five months by conmen who convinced them that  they had won large cash prizes. Since the gang lived in a nearby emirate, we coordinated with the police officers there and then raided their house,” said Brig Saeed Hamad bin Sulaiman, director of Rashidiya police station, who declined to identify the emirate.

Police revealed that 33 alleged fraudsters were arrested over the past two months for tricking residents into transferring money as fees for awards they believed they had won.

The number of  cases registered has already shown a marked increase this year compared to just 11 reports during the first five months of 2017.

The funds residents have lost is also higher so far this year with victims reporting that they were cheated out of Dh202,000 last year.

Police at Dubai's Al Rashidiya police station alone have dealt with 12 reports from victims who were tricked into sending money in the hope of obtaining large cash prizes.

In the most recent case, 19 Asian men were arrested after the house they lived in was raided by police on June 5. The men have been accused of repeatedly calling residents promising monetary rewards.

Brig Sulaiman said the calls were made at random to UAE residents.

"The members of these gangs speak different languages. If the person who answers the phone speaks  Arabic, he will respond using the same language,” he said.

In another scam, an Asian gang operated from an apartment in Deira. Police officers raided the apartment after an in-depth investigation and the gang was arrested on April 30.

“In this scam a gang of 14 people posing as Etisalat and du agents called people congratulating them on winning a Dh200,000 prize. They persuaded them to transfer money through currency exchange companies or via phone credit as fees to receive the prizes," he said.

Officers found around 70 mobile phones in the apartment and hundreds of phone SIM cards that were registered under the names of people who left the country.

_______________

Read more:

'Wangiri scam' hits UAE: Foreign gangs target residents with phone calls and phishing texts

Emirates airline issues ticket scam warning

Lulu warns shoppers against fake promotional offers

_______________

“Some fraudsters convinced victims that the number embossed on the back of their SIM card matched the winning digits,” said Brig Sulaiman.

Despite repeated warnings to residents to rebuff cold callers promising fake cash prizes, people remain gullible and continue to share their bank details.

“On receiving such bogus calls, some people even reveal their pin number. Residents must never divulge personal information to scammers. Most people think that those who divulge personal information to scammers are just ignorant, but many are actually well-educated,” he said.

Police said the numbers could be higher since people were self-conscious about publicly admitting they had fallen prey to swindlers.

“Some scam victims are too embarrassed to report the incident to police. Everyone must report such practices," Brig Sulaiman urged.

Both du and Etisalat have conducted campaigns alerting consumers about scammers.

Security tips publicised by both companies warn that clients should not provide personal banking information, PIN numbers, SIM card and passport details over the phone.

Types of bank fraud

1) Phishing

Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.

2) Smishing

The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.

3) Vishing

The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.

4) SIM swap

Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.

5) Identity theft

Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.

6) Prize scams

Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Barings Bank

 Barings, one of Britain’s oldest investment banks, was
founded in 1762 and operated for 233 years before it went bust after a trading
scandal. 

Barings Bank collapsed in February 1995 following colossal
losses caused by rogue trader Nick Lesson. 

Leeson gambled more than $1 billion in speculative trades,
wiping out the venerable merchant bank’s cash reserves.  

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law