Police in the UAE have arrested seven individuals suspected of running a phone and WhatsApp phishing scam that targeted residents by posing as bank employees.
The announcement was made on Thursday by Brig-Gen Tariq Muhammad bin Saif, acting director-general of operations at Ras Al Khaimah Police.
The group of seven, who are of Asian descent and were operating both within and outside the UAE, were allegedly contacting people through phone calls and fake WhatsApp messages.
They would pretend to be representatives from banks and coerce individuals into revealing their bank details.
The fraudsters would claim that the target’s bank account would be blocked unless the requested information was provided.
Victims who fell for the scam would later discover that their bank accounts had been emptied.
The arrest operation was triggered by a complaint from a resident who lost a significant amount of money after falling for the scam.
The case was immediately escalated to the Department of Criminal Investigation and Investigation – Technical Crimes Branch, which created a special task force for the purpose.
After careful planning and investigation, the police were able to locate and arrest the suspects.
The authorities also seized their bank accounts and a large number of bank cards in cooperation with Sharjah Police.
Brig-Gen Bin Saif warned the public to be vigilant about such scams. He advised residents not to respond to calls and messages from unknown numbers, especially those claiming to be bank employees.
“Banks do not ask customers to disclose personal information via SMS, e-mails, or phone calls for the purpose of updating accounts,” he added.
Residents are urged to report any suspicious activities to the authorities immediately.
The recovered funds, believed to have been obtained through criminal activities, have been transferred to the appropriate authorities for further procedures.