Dubai Police Scam- Citizens Warned against Phishing Emails Asking to Pay Fines

Dubai Police has warned citizens to stay alert against scammers, sending emails to citizens, and asking them to pay fines. The authority, through its Twitter account, urged community members to stay vigilant of such click-bait phishing emails and exercise caution while authenticating any email coming from Dubai Police. A look at responses received in Twitter replies, indicates that Dubai Police scam is not limited to phishing emails only.

Dubai Police issues an urgent alert to the public, warning them against phishing emails. Scammers are using deceitful tactics, urging recipients to click on a link to pay fines and service fees. We urge community members to exercise caution and stay vigilant, as well as to verify… pic.twitter.com/wVj9vjIG5z

— Dubai Policeشرطة دبي (@DubaiPoliceHQ) July 23, 2023

Interestingly, people have reported receiving emails asking them to pay fines that they can’t even face in the first place.

For instance, a Twitter user named Abi Gail responded that she received two e-mails asking to pay parking fines and she didn’t even have a driving license.

In reply to Gail’s response, the Police shared the link to the e-crime portal and directed her to file a complaint of any suspicious cyber activity on the portal.

Other Cases of Dubai Police Scams on Social and Electronic Media

It appears that scammers are not only invading the email inboxes of users but also impersonating Dubai Police on social media platforms too. Soon after the authority tweeted to warn about e-mail fraud, citizens were quick to bring attention to other forms of scams too.

A user shared about an apparently fake Dubai Police account on TikTok with more than 42 thousand followers. And, it seems that Dubai Police scams that use the fake accounts of the authority may also be on the rise. Some residents shared about receiving fake SMS and calls from callers impersonating as Dubai Police and asking them to share credit card details.

The recent case of phishing e-mails asking Dubai residents to pay traffic fines is not new of its kind. Even in June 2023, residents received those messages in their inboxes asking them to pay fines. It is to be noted that traffic-related fines are usually paid through the Dubai Police website and Android app.

A surge in online fraud was also reported around Eid-ul-Fitr. According to media reports, opportunists use this occasion to impersonate real brands and sell products at discounts. However, buyers who fell victim to such offers didn’t get anything despite paying money.

The National quoted Emad Fahmy, System Engineering Manager for the Middle East at Netscout, “Cyber criminals profit from the surge in digital transactions and online shopping, which puts a tremendous amount of strain on online retailers.”

People have been cautioned to stay vigilant and thoroughly check URLs to make purchasing decisions from online platforms.