A Dubai resident for 13 years fell victim to an online scam when he clicked on an advertisement that appeared to offer a combo meal deal from a popular fast-food chain.
Instead of being charged Dh14 for the meal, Rahul Khillare was shocked to discover he had been charged Dh14,000.
Khillare, who works as an F&B industry executive, told Khaleej Times that the fake website looked “exactly the same as the original website” of the fast-food chain.
He clicked on the ad, selected the Dh14 food deal, and entered his credit card details. Despite not being asked for a one-time password (OTP), he received a notification stating that Dh14,000 had been deducted from his account.
Before Khillare could notify his bank about the unauthorized transaction, the money had already been withdrawn from his account. His bank refused to return the money, citing customer error.
UAE authorities have repeatedly issued warnings to residents about the risks of social media scams.
They advise consumers to source information from official channels and verified social media accounts.
Banks in the UAE also regularly remind their customers to take precautions when sharing personal and financial information online.
Reflecting on the incident, Khillare said, “Going forward, there is no way I’ll click on those social media advertisements again. I have learned my lesson that I should not believe everything that pops up on social media.”
He advised other residents to exercise extreme caution before clicking on any online advertisements.