Fraudsters posing as bank officials used coercion and a counterfeit app to drain the victim’s account.
Dubai: A man who had recently obtained a Dh800,000 bank loan lost the entire amount after fraudsters deceived him into downloading a fake banking application and gaining remote access to his mobile phone. The incident has prompted Dubai Police to renew warnings against sharing personal or banking details with unknown callers.
The General Department of Criminal Investigation at Dubai Police said the case highlights how seemingly harmless information shared during unsolicited phone calls can be exploited by organised fraud networks, urging the public to remain vigilant against such scams.
The warning was issued during an episode of a Dubai Police podcast featuring Major Saud Abdulrahman Al Khazraji from the General Department of Criminal Investigation. He outlined some of the most common fraud tactics used by scammers, along with key methods of prevention and the official channels available for reporting such crimes.
According to Major Al Khazraji, the victim first received a call from a fraudster posing as a bank employee, offering financing options, loans, and credit cards.
Although the victim declined the offer, stating he did not require any banking services, he inadvertently disclosed a key detail during the conversation—that he had recently taken out a loan and did not need additional financial products.
That single piece of information became the trigger that enabled the fraudsters to escalate the scam into a more sophisticated operation.
Fake bank identity update
Major Al Khazraji explained that the initial caller passed the information to other members of the criminal network, who later recontacted the victim claiming that the bank had launched a new mobile application and undergone a corporate identity update.
The fraudsters instructed the victim to update his banking details via the “new” application and to transfer his funds into an account linked to the supposed upgraded banking platform.
To intensify pressure, they warned that failure to comply would result in his account being frozen and his financial transactions being blocked.
Under sustained pressure and threats, the victim eventually downloaded the application and granted the fraudsters remote access to his smartphone.
The scammers then gained access to his personal information and banking credentials, allowing them to directly transfer funds from his account.
Money moved through multiple accounts
Major Al Khazraji said the criminals succeeded in stealing a substantial amount that the victim had recently received as a bank loan. To obscure the trail, the funds were quickly moved and split across multiple bank accounts, complicating efforts by authorities to trace and recover the stolen money.
He said the incident highlights the dangers of sharing personal, financial, or banking information with unknown individuals, regardless of how convincing their claims may seem.
Key warning
Dubai Police stressed that members of the public should never download applications that enable remote access to smartphones or other devices when requested by unknown callers.
Authorities also urged residents not to disclose bank account details, card information, loan data, or any details related to financial services to individuals claiming to represent banks or financial institutions.
Major Al Khazraji advised the public to always verify such claims by contacting their bank directly or reaching out to official authorities before taking any action related to account updates or financial transactions.
He also warned against succumbing to the pressure tactics and threats commonly used by fraudsters to push victims into making rushed and unsafe decisions.
How to report fraud
Dubai Police urged anyone who encounters suspicious activity or becomes a victim of cyber fraud to immediately report it via the e-Crime platform or by calling 901.
The full episode of the Dubai Police Podcast, presented by Mohammed Ibrahim, is available on the Dubai Police YouTube channel, where it discusses major fraud schemes, preventive measures, and official reporting channels in detail.
