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Police rubbish fake news about gang conning the elderly in UAE

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Sharjah - Not a single aged man or woman has been conned or targeted by any gang, they affirmed.

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Published: Thu 9 Jan 2020, 11:48 AM

Last updated: Wed 15 Jan 2020, 9:06 AM

The Sharjah Police have denied social media reports about a gang conning elderly people in Al Dhaid area.
"We have not received any report or complaint regarding any such incident from any of the Central Region police stations," the police pointed out.
Not a single aged man or woman has been conned or targeted by any gang, they affirmed.
"All members of the society are urged to stop sharing such fake news, and verify the same first from the law enforcement bodies concerned to avoid unnecessary instability and legal action."
Haidi Abdulhadi, a lawyer, told Khaleej Times that spreading rumours on social media is strictly punishable by the UAW law.
"According to Article 29 of the Federal Legal Decree 5/2012, a jail term to be determined by the judge, and a hefty fine of Dh1million, shall be slapped on anyone involved in rumour-mongering on social media."

How rumours fly thick And fast

> Fake news is created and spread aggressively
> 'Opinion polls' or 'studies' are quoted/manipulated to lend credibility
> Fake or old photos are tagged along
> Information is shared on random profiles online
> Unsuspecting residents blindly forward the messages/photos without confirming their veracity
Recently, the Umm Al Quawain Police quashed rumours on a maid involved in kidnapping an expatriate girl in the emirate. "Such posts on social media are baseless and fabricated," they said. "Most rumours come from people and organisations who want to boost their following and visibility on social media."
Many rumours sought to tarnish the UAE's reputation globally. These included purported strikes by Houthi militia at Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports, they elaborated.
"Rumours include reports about carcinogens in popular food products available in the country; 'abandoned vehicles' in Dubai; 'murder' of a popular Moroccan singer in Dubai; 'availability of drugs' in schools; and photos that wrongly showed university students as martyrs in the Yemen war. One absurd write-up said Dubai was a ghost town, while another rumour went as far as saying that a certain 'Ruler's court' was giving money away."
Fighting the spread of rumours goes beyond denying them, she said, stressing the need for stepped-up awareness drives across all institutions
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com



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