Dubai Police identify nine victims thanks to boy's courage

Dubai: A 13-year-old Arab boy was allegedly lured through an online game by an Arab man offering in-game privileges in exchange for personal photographs. After the boy shared pictures, the man allegedly escalated his demands, asking him to send photographs of his sister.

Concerned by the requests, the boy told his guardian, who reported the incident to Dubai Police. The investigation led to the identification of nine other children who had allegedly been approached by the same man but had not reported their experiences.

The boy was the 10th child identified in the case, which was referred to the Public Prosecution, a Dubai Police official said during a cyber safety awareness session with Meta and content creators on Monday.

Speaking to Gulf News on the sidelines of the forum, organised by Dubai Police’s General Department of Criminal Investigation in partnership with Meta to mark Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah Al Shehhi, Director of the Cybercrime Department at the General Department of Criminal Investigation, recounted the incident.

He warned that criminals can exploit children’s interests in online games to gain their trust before making inappropriate requests. The tactic is not limited to one game or platform, as offenders can also target children through social media and messaging applications.

“Reporting is protection for you and protection for others,” Al Shehhi said, urging families to report suspicious interactions rather than assume that blocking an account will resolve the problem.

How online games can put children at risk

Dubai Police warned that offenders may pose as fellow players, build friendships with children and gradually seek sensitive information.

A conversation about a favourite game or hobby may lead to offers of upgrades or special privileges, followed by requests for personal details or photographs. Children may not recognise the person’s intentions or know their real identity.

Police urged parents to monitor the games their children play, understand whom they communicate with and explain why personal information and private photographs should never be shared with strangers.

Children should tell a trusted adult if anyone threatens them, pressures them to share images or asks them to move conversations to another platform.

Parents should preserve evidence, including screenshots and account usernames, and report suspected offences through official police channels. Blocking an account can prevent further contact, but reporting may help investigators identify other potential victims.

The discussion featured Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah Al Shehhi, Major Khalid Tahlak, Deputy Director for Monitoring and Security Programmes; Captain Saeed Adel Al Suwaidi, Head of the Electronic Monitoring Section; and Lieutenant Ahmed Abdullah Al Shehhi, Head of the Cybercrime Prediction and Analysis Centre Section.

Key advice from Dubai Police to protect children online

•Build trust at home: Encourage children to report uncomfortable or suspicious interactions without fear of punishment.

•Monitor online activity: Know which games and platforms children use and whom they communicate with.

•Protect personal information: Never share private photographs, passwords, verification codes or identifying details with strangers.

•Watch for warning signs: Be alert to requests for photographs, gifts in games, threats or pressure to move conversations elsewhere.

•Preserve evidence: Keep screenshots, messages and account usernames before reporting suspected abuse.

•Report, do not just block: Contact police through official channels so investigators can assess the case and identify other potential victims.

•Think before posting: Children’s photographs, school uniforms, locations and daily routines can reveal information to strangers.

Fear of punishment can keep children silent

Children must feel safe reporting online abuse, participants stressed. A psychologist said victims of exploitation or bullying may feel guilt, shame or fear of their parents’ reaction. If they expect criticism or punishment, they may remain silent.

Parents should listen calmly, reassure children they are not to blame for another person’s inappropriate behaviour and focus on protecting them. Regular conversations about online activity can help children recognise warning signs and feel comfortable asking for help, police officials said.

Cyberbullying can follow children home

Police warned that humiliating photographs, videos and messages can continue circulating long after an incident at school, exposing children to repeated harassment and potentially serious psychological distress.

Parents should encourage children to approach trusted adults, while schools should intervene early. Serious or persistent cases may require police involvement.

Officials also cautioned against sharing children’s photographs carelessly online, as school uniforms, locations and details of daily routines can help strangers build a profile of a child.

Meta highlights safeguards for teenagers

Meta outlined Instagram’s protections for teen accounts, including private-by-default settings, restrictions on who can contact teenagers and limits on exposure to sensitive content.

The company said users aged 13 to 18 are automatically placed in teen accounts. Daily usage limits are initially set at one hour, while sleep mode runs from 10pm to 7am, when notifications are switched off.

Parents have greater control over settings for users aged 13 to 15, while those aged 16 to 18 have more flexibility to adjust certain restrictions.

Meta reported that 97 per cent of teenagers aged 13 to 15 in teen accounts remained within the built-in restrictions. It also said 94 per cent of parents surveyed found the accounts helpful, while 85 per cent believed they made it easier to support positive online experiences.

Instagram’s parental supervision dashboard allows parents to monitor screen time, see who their teenagers follow and who follows them, and view accounts they have interacted with through messaging in the previous seven days. Parents cannot read private messages through the dashboard.

Meta said the tools are intended to support family discussions, not replace them. Teenagers cannot independently override certain screen-time restrictions and must ask their parents to change the relevant settings.

Police call for community-wide action

Dubai Police said protecting children online requires cooperation between families, schools, law enforcement agencies, technology companies and the wider community.

Specialist teams monitor emerging cybercrime trends and assess reports involving suspicious applications, online behaviour and potentially harmful social media trends. Officials urged media organisations and influencers to share safety advice and direct the public to official reporting channels.

Parents were also advised to set clear rules for anyone caring for or working with children, including babysitters, domestic workers and private tutors, and to remain attentive to children’s interactions with adults.

One Dubai Police official said that, in his personal view, children should ideally wait until at least 16 before becoming content creators, when they may be better equipped to understand the risks of public exposure and online interactions.

Police stressed that online safety awareness must begin at home, with children taught to protect personal information, question requests from strangers and report suspicious behaviour without fear.