Dubai: Don't use unofficial travel websites for cheaper tickets, residents warned

Dubai - Fraudsters are known to use stolen credit cards for reservations and illegal activities.

Dubai Police have warned residents not to deal with unofficial websites for travel bookings in order to avoid being victims of fraud.

With high seasonal demand leading to costly travel prices, the authority stated that people dealing with these sites or unknown parties can be legally accountable. It urged community members to only use well-known and approved websites.

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Brigadier Jamal Salem Al Jalaf, Director of Criminal Investigation Department, told Al Bayan that Dubai Police is keen to protect the public from falling victim to fraud.

He explained that offering tickets or packages for various destinations at reduced prices is one of the methods used by fraudsters, since many people tend to travel during summer.

Al Jalaf said that the residents have plenty of options when it comes to accredited agencies and airlines, in order to avoid exposure to fraud or being legally accountable, as fraudsters are known to use stolen credit cards for reservations.

He warned against dealing with unknown pages on social media platforms where fraudsters use links and addresses that are similar to well-known sites and companies by playing with letters or manipulating the names in a deceitful way to trick people wishing to save money.

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Sharing passport and credit card details with fraudsters constitutes another risk, he said, since these documents can be used to implicate people in illegal activities without their knowledge.

Al Jalaf indicated that many fraudsters run these fake pages and websites from outside the country, which makes it difficult to pursue them. Residents are, therefore, advised to protect themselves by exercising caution and doing due diligence when booking travel options online.

• Dubai