News DeskDubai, UAE – Dubai Police, represented by the General Department of Criminal Investigation, has arrested 494 individuals involved in 406 phone fraud cases over the past year. The fraudsters targeted bank customers under the guise of “updating banking information”.
The criminals used various deceptive methods, including phone calls, emails, SMS, and social media links, to trick victims and access their savings and bank accounts. Significant amounts of money, mobile phones, laptops, and SIM cards used in these scams were seized by Dubai Police.
Fraud is a criminal offence under the Federal Law by Decree No. (31) of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law and the Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 On Countering Rumours and Cybercrimes, ensuring strict penalties for offenders.
Advisory on Protecting Personal Banking Information
Brigadier Harib Al Shamsi, Acting Director of the General Department for Criminal Investigation at Dubai Police, urges the community to guard against revealing banking details or credit card information to anyone claiming to be from a financial institution. He highlighted the scammers’ tactics of falsely claiming that the victims’ accounts or cards were blocked or frozen to defraud them.
Banks never solicit banking information updates via telephone. Customers are advised to update their details directly through the banks’ branches, official customer service representatives, or authenticated banking applications. Victims of such scams are urged to promptly report incidents to the authorities through Dubai Police’s various platforms.
Efficient Response to Fraud Alerts
Colonel Dr Khalid Aref Al Sheikh, Director of the Anti-Economic Crimes Department, highlighted the department’s efficiency in addressing numerous fraud alerts related to phone scams targeting bank accounts last year.
“The dedicated efforts of our officers and specialists have led to the apprehension of perpetrators, demonstrating Dubai Police’s commitment to legal action against such crimes,” he confirmed. Al Sheikh assures that the Dubai Police remains vigilant and prepared to respond to any fraud reports, underscoring the substantial investment in developing a skilled national workforce capable of providing round-the-clock support to the community, with the overarching goal of ensuring public safety and security.
