Abu Dhabi Police warn residents of salary-day online scams and fraud
Residents are urged to avoid suspicious links and never share their banking credentials
Dubai: Abu Dhabi Police have warned residents to be on alert for a rise in electronic fraud and financial scams timed to coincide with salary payments, as criminals use fake offers and fraudulent websites to steal money and personal information.
Authorities said scammers are exploiting the monthly salary period by targeting people with a range of deceptive schemes, urging the public to deal only with official and trusted entities and avoid suspicious links or offers that appear too good to be true.
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Fake property listings, job offers and investment scams
Among the scams reported are fake advertisements for villas, chalets and other properties, bogus residency visa services, fraudulent job offers, misleading labour supply services, unauthorised insurance products, and fake listings for vehicles supposedly seized by Abu Dhabi Customs.
Police also warned about online advertisements selling vehicle number plates and luxury watches at unrealistic prices, as well as investment scams promising returns in financial markets.
Other tactics include selling counterfeit event tickets, creating fake websites and links that impersonate government agencies or well-known organisations, persuading victims to install remote access software, and requesting deposits for non-existent goods, services, training courses or fake certificates.
Never share banking details or OTPs
Abu Dhabi Police urged residents never to share banking details, passwords or one-time passwords (OTPs) with anyone, regardless of who is requesting the information.
The force also advised people not to transfer money or pay deposits before verifying the legitimacy of the seller or service provider. Residents should access government services only through official websites and mobile applications rather than through search engine results or unverified links, it said.
How to report fraud in Abu Dhabi
Anyone who encounters suspected fraud or suspicious online activity is encouraged to report it through the Aman service by calling 8002626, sending a text message to 2828, or emailing aman@adpolice.gov.ae.
Police said prompt reporting helps authorities combat cybercrime and protect members of the community from financial losses.
