Dubai issues $3.6 million lottery scam alert

Another online prize scam identified in the city.

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has alerted the financial services community and the public about a scam using a fake document.

The document is purporting to come from the DFSA and referring to "the Dubai National Lottery Foundation 2018 online prize awards".

The fake document fraudulently states that a sum of $3,600,000 (Dh132,231,60) will be paid to "the beneficiary" within 36 hours if the beneficiary transfers $36,000 (Dh132,231) to the scammers for 'registration' and to obtain 'official approval' for remittance of the funds.

(Copy of the document)

In the fake document, the scammers have falsely used the:

>DFSA's name and logo on the document;

>Name of the DFSA's chairman as the signatory of the document; and

>Name of other UAE banks and a UAE government ministry.

The DFSA would like to inform people that the:

>'Dubai National Lottery Foundation' does not exist

>The letter is fake and has not been sent by the DFSA; and

>Scammers have fraudulently used the DFSA's name and logo, the name of the DFSA's chairman and the name of two UAE banks and a UAE government ministry, without authority and for an improper purpose.

The DFSA has a page on its website dedicated to alerts which it has issued about scams. All alerts issued by the DFSA may be accessed by going to: Alerts

The DFSA has also issued warnings and guidance about the common types of scams, including the advance fee scams, perpetrated on consumers.

For more information on these scams please go to: How to avoid being scammed

reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
• Dubai