Dh2 million fine in UAE for IP address fraud

Forging Internet Protocol addresses to commit crimes in the UAE is punishable by imprisonment and a fine of up to Dh2 million, UAE prosecutors have warned.

In an awareness message posted on its social media accounts, the UAE Public Prosecution has explained the penalties for the use of the Internet Protocol address for committing a crime so that residents can take caution.

# #_ #_ #_ #_ # #__ #__#cybercrime #law #legal_culture pic.twitter.com/SVwoQWcCt1

— (@UAE_PP) November 28, 2020

Prosecutors said that according to Article 9 of the Federal Law No. 5 for 2012 on combating cybercrimes and its amendments, whoever uses a fraudulent IP address by using a false address or a third-party address by any other means to commit a crime or prevent its discovery, shall be punished by imprisonment and a fine of not less than Dh500,000 and not exceeding of Dh2,000,000, or either of these two penalties.

Prosecutors defined the IP address as the numerical label assigned to any information technology media participating in computer network which is used for communication purposes. In this hijacking technique, a cracker masquerades as a trusted host to conceal his identity, spoof a website, hijack browsers, or gain access to a network.

Officers said UAE authorities had introduced the tough penalties to crack down on people using a fraudulent computer network protocol address with criminal intent.

“The law on combating cybercrimes is very important to keep pace with the rapid growth in technology, where new crimes have emerged resulting from the misuse of modern technologies. These online crimes have negative effects on the social and economic interests of the country and individuals,” said prosecutors.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com

Ismail Sebugwaawo

A professional journalist originating from Kampala, Uganda, Ismail is a happy father with strong attachment to family and great values for humanity. He has practiced journalism in UAE for the past 13 years, covering the country's parliament (FNC) and crimes, including Abu Dhabi Police, public prosecution and courts. He also reports about important issues in education, public health and the environment, with a keen interest in human interest stories. When out of reporting duties, he serves the Ugandan community in Abu Dhabi as he wants to see his countrymen happy. Exercising and reading are part of his free time.