Romance scams and fake parcel deliveries were among the tactics used by an international criminal network that Sharjah Police have dismantled after defrauding victims of more than Dh3 million, authorities announced Sunday.
The Criminal Investigation Department led the operation, which ended in the arrest of four African nationals. Investigators say the suspects ran coordinated schemes targeting victims both inside the UAE and abroad, exploiting emotional manipulation and impersonation to extract payments.
One branch of the operation relied on fabricated shipping scenarios. Posing as representatives of courier and insurance firms, the suspects contacted victims and told them parcels were waiting to be released — then charged them bogus fees for customs clearance and insurance. Investigators found the group had obtained unauthorised access to data belonging to a legitimate insurance company in the shipping industry, giving their communications an air of credibility when dealing with real suppliers and clients.
Colonel Dr Khalifa Balhaj, Director of the CID, said the network was structured to operate across multiple countries. “One suspect managed operations from outside the UAE, directing other members and selecting targets,” he said. Members based within the UAE handled the financial end — receiving transferred funds and withdrawing cash through ATMs in staged instalments before passing it to designated members of the group.
A second scheme ran parallel to the delivery fraud. Suspects built false identities using women’s photos to cultivate emotional relationships with victims on social media. Once trust was established, they manufactured urgent scenarios — pending travel, meetings in the UAE, personal emergencies — and requested money. Funds moved through prepaid SIM cards and indirect payment channels specifically chosen to obscure the trail.
Colonel Balhaj cautioned that these cases reflect a shift in how fraud is carried out. “Such cases highlight the growing sophistication of fraud schemes, which combine social engineering with digital tools to exploit victims,” he said, urging the public to treat unsolicited financial requests — particularly from unknown accounts — with suspicion.
Sharjah Police said the gang’s exposure came after multiple complaint reports revealed a consistent pattern of activity. A specialised team documented transactions throughout the investigation, including the movement of withdrawn funds between network members.
Authorities reminded residents never to share personal or banking information regardless of the circumstances, and to report anything suspicious to police. The CID said digital forensic tools remain central to its ongoing efforts to break up cross-border criminal operations.
