Dubai Police have issued a warning about the dangers of online romance scams after an elderly European woman lost nearly AED 12 million to a fraudster who posed as a businessman in Dubai.
In a Gulf News report, Brigadier Saeed Al Hajri, Director of Cybercrime at the General Department of Criminal Investigation, revealed that the scammer, of African nationality, convinced the victim to sell her assets and transfer the money to him. The woman, believing she was in a genuine relationship, even moved to Dubai, only to realize she had been deceived.
Authorities later discovered that the fraudster was not based in Dubai but was operating from an African country. The case has been escalated to international law enforcement for further action.
Al Hajri emphasized that romance scams exploit emotional vulnerabilities, with scammers using social media to study their targets and gain their trust. He urged the public to be cautious when engaging with strangers online and to report suspicious activity to the police. Dubai Police have cyber patrol units operating round the clock to combat the growing threat of digital fraud.
