Dubai Police arrested six suspects in connection with a bank fraud scheme that used a fake online shopping website to gather card details and steal money from victims' accounts.
Police said the investigation and arrests followed complaints from victims who noticed sudden deductions from their bank accounts despite not making or authorising the transactions.
One victim, identified by her initials SN, said she woke up to text messages about a large sum withdrawn from her account, wiping out savings she had accumulated over several years.
Shocked by the unexpected transactions, the woman, who works for a private company, contacted Dubai Police for help.
“I wasn’t even using my phone or making any purchases. I was fast asleep while someone unknown was draining money from my account,” she said.
The complaints prompted the General Department of Criminal Investigation at Dubai Police to launch an investigation that led to the arrest of a six-member fraud gang known as the "unexpected deduction" gang.
The investigation revealed that the suspects had set up a fake online shopping website to obtain victims’ bank card details. They later used this information to make unauthorised purchases and transfer money into digital wallets to receive the stolen funds.
Police said the gang also opened bank accounts and digital wallets to move stolen funds.
According to the investigation, the gang sold some compromised bank card details to other people for money, allowing further fraudulent transactions.
Digital wallets and bank accounts
Dubai Police formed a specialised team to investigate the complaints. Through surveillance and investigative efforts, officers identified all six gang members, found where they were living and carried out a co-ordinated raid.
During the operation, police recovered bank cards belonging to victims that the gang allegedly intended to sell to other fraudsters, as well as chequebooks believed to have been used to assist their illegal activities.
The investigation also found that the suspects had exploited digital wallets provided by a telecoms company to receive proceeds from the alleged fraud.
Dubai Police urged residents to be careful when shopping online and to verify website authenticity before entering personal or banking information.
The force warned the public against sharing bank card details or other sensitive financial information with untrusted people or organisations.
Residents who discover unfamiliar deductions or suspect fraudulent activity should report it promptly through the Dubai Police contact centre on 901, the Police Eye service, or the eCrime service available through the Dubai Police smart application and official website.