Dubai Police have issued a warning about a new method of online scamming involving fake consumer protection websites found on search engines and social media platforms.
The Anti-Fraud Department at the General Department of Criminal Investigation reported that fraudsters create these websites to impersonate official “Consumer Protection” platforms. They exploit these sites to access victims’ mobile data using malicious “remote access” applications, which allow unauthorized financial transactions.
Authorities have urged the public to use official consumer protection channels and to refrain from downloading any suspicious applications.
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Additionally, they emphasized the importance of immediately reporting such attempts through the eCrime platform or by calling 901 to protect personal data and finances.
New scam explained
Explaining the details of this new fraudulent scheme, Dubai Police stated that when victims search for a consumer protection platform to file a complaint, they might encounter one of these fake websites.
Believing it to be a legitimate platform, victims enter personal information such as their name, email, phone number, and complaint description on these fraudulent sites.
Scammers then contact the victim directly, posing as official employees, and repeat the complaint details to seem credible and gain the victim’s trust.
Once trust is established, the fraudsters instruct the victim to download remote control software, which allows them to view the victim’s phone screen in real time, steal sensitive banking information, and perform illegal transfers or purchases.
These malicious applications are specifically designed to mirror the victim’s device content, granting full control to the fraudsters, exposing confidential data and enabling its unlawful use.
Creative ways of scamming
Last month, an official at Dubai Corporation for Consumer Protection and Fair Trade commented that scammers are becoming increasingly creative in their methods to exploit victims.
“So we need to remind our consumers to be aware of their rights, to carefully read, especially when buying online, to know whom they’re buying from and whom they’re interacting with,” said Ahmad Ahli, Acting Director of the Consumer Protection Department, Dubai Corporation for Consumer Protection and Fair Trade.
“We ask them to check if the business is reputable, to always use accredited and approved payment links, and that consumers will never be asked for OTPs. We always ensure that our customers are protected.”
Several innovative regulations have been established in Dubai to safeguard consumer rights and create a healthy environment that ensures healthy competitiveness, fair practices, and justice across the industry, according to Ahmad.
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