Dubai Police have warned residents about rising fraud involving fake phone calls and text messages from scammers posing as official organisations or banking institutions.
As part of the ongoing awareness campaign, 'Be Aware of Fraud', Dubai Police highlighted that scammers are using sophisticated methods to mislead victims and gain access to sensitive personal and financial information.
According to Dubai Police, the fraudsters behind these schemes often pretend to represent official organisations or banking institutions in order to gain the trust of their targets. Their goal is to pressure people into revealing sensitive personal and financial details, including bank account numbers, passwords, PINs, and one-time verification codes such as OTPs. In many cases, this information is then used to gain unauthorised access to victims’ financial accounts or to push them into making urgent money transfers under false pretences.
The authorities stressed that no legitimate organisation in the UAE will ask for confidential banking or personal information over the phone or through SMS. Members of the public are urged to remain cautious and avoid responding to suspicious requests, regardless of how convincing or urgent they may appear.
To stay protected, authorities encouraged individuals to:
• Never share personal or banking information with unknown sources
• Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading unverified applications
• Confirm the identity of callers or message senders before taking action
• Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication
• Report any suspicious activity immediately
Dubai Police urge anyone targeted by fraud or blackmail attempts to report incidents through the eCrime platform, by calling 901, or via the 'Police Eye' service on the Dubai Police smart app or official website.