A Bur Dubai resident and single mother, Sarika Thadani, who has been living in Dubai for 20 years, found herself ensnared in a phishing scam that turned a simple Dh29 meal into a Dh9,872 loss. The incident underscores a rising trend of fraudulent websites mimicking legitimate food delivery platforms to extract credit card details from unsuspecting customers.
Sarika recounted her ordeal, explaining that on July 31, she attempted to place an order through a Facebook advertisement, offering discounted meals from a popular fried chicken outlet.
She ordered sandwich rolls and chicken nuggets for her staff to treat them on her mother’s birthday. “I felt obligated to treat my staff since they had called to wish my mum a happy birthday. I came across this heavily discounted offer and decided to go for it,” she told Khaleej Times.
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However, after submitting the OTP provided by the bank, she was stunned to receive a notification that Dh2,020 had been billed instead of the expected Dh29. “I immediately called the bank and was informed that multiple unauthorised transactions had been made, totalling Dh9,872.69,” she added.
Sarika expressed her disappointment with the bank’s response. “I informed the bank within minutes, but they couldn’t stop the payment. What’s worse, I only received one OTP for all these transactions. Why isn’t there a system in place to hold such transactions when the bank is informed about fraudulent activity immediately? If they had put a hold on the payments and investigated, the outcome could have been different.”
Realising the gravity of the situation, Sarika requested the bank to halt the transactions and block her card. The bank advised her to visit the nearest police station and file a complaint, which she did at the Al Raffa Police Station. There, she was instructed to register the case on the police’s e-crime website and provide supporting documents, including a dispute form and bank statement.
“The next day, the bank acknowledged that the transactions were on hold, but later informed me that the payments had gone through,” she said, adding: “I’m devastated. As a middle-class family, this money is a lot, even if I pay it back in instalments.”
After receiving her bank statement on August 14, she registered the case with Dubai Police. Two days later, however, the bank notified her that the case had been closed because she had provided the OTP, making her liable for the charges.
Similar incidents have been reported in the past. Last year, Khaleej Times reported how Rahul Khillare, a Dubai resident, was tempted by an enticing deal of Dh14 for a combo meal. After clicking the link and entering his credit card details, he was shocked to find that Dh14,000 had been charged instead.
Similarly, another Dubai resident, Frank (name changed), ordered from what he believed to be a popular fast food chain’s authentic website. Expecting to pay only Dh37, he was instead charged Dh4,848, with no food delivered to his flat.
Escalating phishing scams
Cybersecurity experts emphasised that Sarika’s ordeal underscores the escalating threat of phishing scams, where fraudulent websites pose as legitimate food delivery platforms to deceive users into revealing their credit card information.
“Lured by attractive offers, individuals unwittingly share their card details, which scammers then exploit to carry out unauthorised transactions,” said Obaidullah Kazmi, founder and CTO (chief technology officer) of CREDO Technology Services LLC.
“Education campaigns can help raise awareness and prevent scams. Additionally, swift action at the country level to shut down fraudulent websites and better collaboration between banks and law enforcement are crucial in minimising the impact of such incidents.
Banks should implement artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) driven technology to continuously analyse transaction patterns, detect anomalies in real-time, and predict potential fraudulent activities, allowing for proactive intervention and minimising the likelihood of such scams,” Kazmi added.
Authorities and banks have routinely advised residents to be vigilant and verify the authenticity of websites before making online transactions, especially when prompted by advertisements on social media platforms.