Warning in UAE: Beware of fraudsters posing as cops, residents told

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Sharjah - Residents must know how to confront impersonators and report them immediately to the police.

Afkar Ali Ahmed

Published: Fri 15 Jan 2021, 6:07 PM

Last updated: Fri 15 Jan 2021, 6:30 PM

Residents must know how to confront impersonators and report them immediately to the police.

Cops in Sharjah have warned residents of scammers who impersonate as police officers to steal valuables and belongings.

After receiving reports of such incidents, the Sharjah Police have rolled out an awareness campaign “Beware before you fall prey to robbery”.

Such a drive was also held last year, said a top criminal investigation department (CID) officer. “We aim to educate members of the public about the dangers posed by impersonation of security men who deceive victims by stealing their wallets and other belongings.

Residents must know how to confront impersonators and report them immediately to the police,” he said.

“If someone is claiming to be a policeman, ask to see his official identity card first. If the officer flashes the ID card quickly and you were unable to check it properly, you have every right to ask to see it again and again,” clarified the police official.

The officer also pointed out that, in normal cases, police officers only ask for the identification card or driver’s licence and vehicle ownership during inspections and do not ask about personal belongings, money and other possessions.

Impersonators mostly choose residents who do not speak Arabic and take advantage of their unfamiliarity with the language. They stop unsuspecting residents on the streets, claiming to be from CID officers, and rob them. The police have distributed awareness leaflets in Arabic, English and Urdu among residents and also at major shopping centres and clinics.

These crimes had gone down after intensified inspections last year but have resurfaced again, he added. “Citizens and residents are urged to cooperate with the security services to address this negative phenomenon. Any actions that provoke suspicion must be alerted to the police to round up these impersonators,” he said.

KNOW THE LAW

According to UAE laws, anyone caught impersonating the police to commit crimes may be jailed for up to five years.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com