COVID-19: 25,000 cybercrime complaints registered by Dubai Police on E-Crime platform

Dubai: Dubai Police have recorded several cybercrimes amid the COVID-19 pandemic as scammers target victims seeking to buy masks and ventilators.

According to Colonel Saeed Al Hajiri, Director of Cybercrime Department at Dubai Police, the E-Crime platform to report cybercrimes in Dubai played a key role in arresting scammers who took advantage of the pandemic to scam community members.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, gangs promoted online masks and ventilators. They were arrested and referred to the concerned authority for legal action,” said Col Al Hajiri.

According to official records, the complaints and calls related to cybercrimes rose by 3,000 per cent since the launch of the E-Crime platform since three years.

“More than 25,000 people provided important information to Dubai Police last year about cybercrimes. 20 per cent of the complaints were against suspects who were arrested inside the country,” he added.

Before the launch of E-Crime, Dubai Police were recording between 600 to 800 complaints per year but last year the number rose to 25,000 through the E-Crime platform.

Col Al Hajiri said that cyber-monitoring has become a necessity not only for companies but for families to avoid hacking.

“It is important to be check children’s online activity. Many parents leave their children unmonitored but don’t understand that they can be connected to strangers through their phones, videogames and computers,” added Col Al Hajiri.

He urged people to know the basic ways to protect oneself from cybercrimes.

“People can undergo online courses related to protection from cybercrimes.”