Abu Dhabi: An Abu Dhabi resident has shared how his prompt reporting of a scam to Abu Dhabi Police helped him recover the Dh140,000 that was stolen from his bank account.
Police shared a clip of the resident detailing his experience as part of its campaign to protect residents against electronic crimes and fraud.
Fraudulent email
“In the first week of January 2022, I [was defrauded]. Initially, I received an email that claimed to be from the police, in which they asked for my Emirates ID details to verify my residency. I shared my details, and subsequently found that Dh140,000 had been siphoned off from my bank account,” the resident narrated.
Prompt reporting
He immediately called his bank and blocked his bank account, credit card and debit card. “I also informed the police and they told me that investigations were underway and that they would get back to me. A month later, I once again received a call from the Police and they told me that my money was safe and that I would receive it in my account shortly,” the resident said. The stolen Dh140,000 was returned to his bank account within three days of police’s follow-up call.
“I am extremely grateful to Abu Dhabi Police,” the resident added.
Awareness campaign
The Abu Dhabi Police online crime awareness campaign, launched earlier this month, has been working to increase residents’ vigilance against scams and fraud attempts. Police have advised residents to report any incident of fraud promptly, which can help the authorities trace the stolen funds as well as the scammers.
In fact, Abu Dhabi Police have returned Dh21 million worth of funds over the last seven months to victims of phone scams and online fraud. A total of 1,740 cases were reported during the period and police were able to return the funds to their rightful owners in up to 90 per cent of the cases that were reported.
Report fraud, scams
Authorities also added that the majority of cases in which funds could not be retrieved were a result of delayed reporting by victims.
In order to report a scam or fraud attempt, call Abu Dhabi Police’s Aman service on 8002626 or text Aman on 2828.
