A Dubai resident who lost Dh45,000 that she inherited from her late father has warned others about the dangers of falling victim to online fraudsters.
Timna Sophia, 32, said she was shocked at how convincing and professional the criminals were at extracting personal details from her.
After a lengthy phone call on April 10 with a man claiming to be from Commercial Bank of Dubai, the scammers siphoned two tranches of cash from her account within minutes.
When I logged into my account, I could see a man had added himself as a beneficiary and withdrew Dh25,000
The first sum of Dh25,000 was transferred to another account at the same bank. Moments later Dh20,000, was transferred to a Mashreq Bank account and withdrawn from an ATM.
"I've been left feeling so vulnerable. This money was inheritance that my father left me," she told The National.
“He passed away on July 26 from cancer and I arrived in Germany just one day later, on July 27, to say my goodbyes. I was too late.
“I was unable to see him before he died because of global lockdown measures and my residence visa had also run out.”
Ms Sophia, a nanny from Germany, said while the crime has left her out of pocket, she now feels angry at herself for not catching on to the scam sooner.
The man called from a UAE mobile number and was "well spoken with good English." He spent more than one hour on the phone with Ms Sophia and sent several SMS messages to authenticate his claims of being a bank worker, including a verification code from a number made to appear as "Dubai Police".
During the call, she handed over her 16-digit debit card number and CVV code, the three digit security number on the back of the card.
“Before the call, I received a text message from a courier saying a package was going to be delivered later that day,” she said.
“Soon after, my phone rang and it was a man claiming to be from the bank. He knew all my details, including my full name and Emirates ID number.
He told her the bank was sending out a new debit card to her home address, as it was updating its systems due to changes prompted by the pandemic.
“He said my card was no longer valid and a more secure one would be with me later that day," she said.
"When I got the verification code from what I thought was a legitimate Dubai Police number, I felt comfortable to proceed.”
At the end of the call, the fraudster managed to convince Ms Sophia to hand over her user name for online banking too, but not her password.
He then told her to refrain from logging into her account for a few hours, which is when her suspicions creeped in.
“I texted my mum and told her what was happening and she immediately told me it was a scam,” she said.
When Ms Sophia logged into her account, she could see a man had added himself as a beneficiary and withdrew Dh25,000.
“I was still on the phone with the man claiming to be from the bank and I got angry and asked him where had my money gone,” she said.
The man tried to pacify her by saying they had set up a new account and the money was being transferred into that account.
Seconds later, the Dh20,000 vanished from her account and was listed as a transfer for “medical purposes”. Shortly after, Ms Sophia hung up the phone and reported the incident to Dubai Police.
Nearly two weeks on, authorities are investigating.
“[The bank] told me that I willingly gave out my details and it was being investigated by the fraud department,” she said.
“I find it suspicious that the money was sent to another CBD account, but I have to wait and see what comes of the investigation."
Many people were asking why she fell for the scam, Ms Sophia said, "but it is such a psychological game they play".
“These criminals are so sophisticated, it’s really quite concerning and now I have become so vigilant when using my card in public. These people can ruin peoples’ lives.”
How to spot a job scam? - in pictures
Results
5pm: Al Falah – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Bshara, Richard Mullen (jockey), Salem Al Ketbi (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Al Dhafra – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Mualami, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud
6.30pm: Al Khaleej Al Arabi – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Hawafez, Adrie de Vries, Abubakar Daud
7pm: Al Mafraq – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi
7.30pm: Al Samha – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Celestial Spheres, Patrick Cosgrave, Ismail Mohammed
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
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Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
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Rating: 2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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
MATCH INFO
League Cup, last 16
Manchester City v Southampton, Tuesday, 11.45pm (UAE)
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Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Three ways to get a gratitude glow
By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.
- During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
- As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
- In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
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ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
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6.30pm Handicap US$135,000 (Turf) 2,410m
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8.50pm Al Fahidi Fort Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,400m
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Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
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