Scammers are trying their best to take advantage of the peak travel season as many residents plan to go for their summer holiday.
Fraudsters on Friday were sending broadcast messages using the name of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai, warning: “We have suspended your use of your passport.
“You have been restricted from leaving the United Arab Emirates. Please declare your residential address, otherwise you shall be held liable. Those who fail to declare will be fined 50,000 dirhams and restricted from leaving the country,” added the bogus text message that also sent a malicious web link.
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Numbers that were used in sending anomalous messages show originating from Nigeria (+234) and Ethiopia (+251).
Exercise caution
The real GDRFA-Dubai immediately reacted with a strong advise to residents not to fall prey to the scammers.
In a statement sent to Khaleej Times, GDRFA-Dubai said: “(We) strongly advise all customers to exercise caution and refrain from responding to any potentially suspicious text messages. It is recommended to avoid interacting with anonymous messages or clicking on links from unknown sources.
“For any further inquiries or complaints, please do not hesitate to contact us at 8005111,” GDRFA added.
Crackdown on cybercrime
Khaleej Times has been consistently reporting on UAE’s crackdown on cybercrime. A report published on July 5 reveals the complex structure of international cybercrime syndicates dismantled by UAE authorities that resulted in the arrests of hundreds of individuals last week.
A three-month-long investigation by Khaleej Times revealed syndicates had specialised teams for different scams that employ hundreds of computer-literate individuals from South Asia through job advertisements on social media.