Dubai Police bust phone scam gangs, arrest 13 criminals posing as officials

Dubai Police arrested three criminal gangs consisting of 13 Asians in a major crackdown on banking fraud. Authorities announced on Thursday that the criminals were using phone scams to target victims.

“The gang members impersonated officials from agencies like the police and banks, contacting citizens and residents under the pretence of needing to update their banking information, pay traffic fines, or resolve residency issues. They exploited these claims to gain access to victims' bank accounts and steal their money,” Dubai Police said.

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“The gangs employed sophisticated tactics to convince victims to share sensitive information related to their bank cards, such as the three-digit CVV and one-time passwords (OTP). They took advantage of people's trust in official entities,” authorities added.

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Authorities shared blurred photos of the arrested scammers and the gadgets they used.

“The arrests of these gangs are part of (our) ongoing efforts to combat cyber fraud and protect the community from falling victim to such scams through continuous awareness campaigns," Dubai Police added.

Dubai Police reminded the public that banks would never request customers to share their banking or personal information through text messages, emails, or phone calls claiming to update their accounts.

Any suspicious communications must be reported to authorities immediately by visiting the nearest police station or through the "eCrime" platform via the website www.ecrime.ae or the Dubai Police app.