Dubai: Dubai Police have recovered more than Dh1 million for an Arab woman who was tricked into transferring her money to an account chosen by a fraudster posing as a government official.
The scam began while the woman was travelling abroad for tourism. The fraudster contacted her, claiming her bank account was under suspicion and that the government entity he purported to represent needed to verify it. He warned her not to tell anyone about the matter, claiming that doing so could expose the case.
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Lieutenant Colonel Ali Al Yamahi, Director of the Anti-Cybercrime Centre at Dubai Police’s General Department of Criminal Investigation, said the suspect exploited the woman’s trust and fear to persuade her to comply with his instructions.
After she returned to the UAE, the fraudster asked her to transfer her funds to an account of his choice, promising that the money would be returned once the verification procedures were complete.
He later instructed her to visit the bank to recover her account. However, as it was an official bank holiday, he told her that a staff member would come to meet her.
The woman waited for several hours, but no one arrived. Realising she had been deceived, she reported the incident to Dubai Police.
Police acted immediately, forming a specialised security team to investigate the case. Within a short period, officers recovered the full amount, worth more than Dh1 million, and returned it to the woman, Al Yamahi said.
The case highlights how fraudsters continue to impersonate government officials and exploit victims’ fears to persuade them to transfer money under the pretext of security checks or bank account verification.
Dubai Police urge residents to report suspicious transactions
Al Yamahi urged members of the public to verify the credibility of websites before entering personal or banking information. He also warned against sharing credit card details or bank account data with untrusted individuals or entities.
Residents should promptly report unknown financial transactions and suspicious activities through the 901 call centre, the Police Eye service or the eCrime platform, available through the Dubai Police app and official website.
Al Yamahi stressed that public awareness of evolving fraud methods and early reporting are essential to helping security authorities respond quickly, detect crimes and protect the community from financial and electronic fraud.