'Love scam' in UAE: Elderly woman loses Dh12 million to online romance fraud

Abu Dhabi: An elderly European woman fell victim to “romantic fraud,” losing nearly 12 million dirhams of her savings after being emotionally manipulated by a scammer.

The fraudster, of African nationality, successfully lured her into his “romantic scam” by convincing her that he was a businessman residing in Dubai.

Brigadier Saeed Al Hajri, Director of Cybercrime at the General Department of Criminal Investigation at Dubai Police, shared details of the case during a media interview on a private platform. He warned about the dangers of “romantic fraud” or “emotional entrapment,” highlighting the severe financial and psychological toll it takes on victims.

How the scam worked

During the discussion, Al Hajri recounted the story of the elderly European woman, who lost all her savings after being targeted by the scammer. Posing as a handsome young man living in Dubai, the fraudster convinced her to sell all her assets and transfer the proceeds to him. She even relocated to Dubai, only to discover she had fallen into an elaborate trap.

Al Hajri explained that the scammer was not actually based in Dubai, but resided in an African country. The woman, struggling with loneliness in her home country, became an easy target. Once the case was reported, authorities identified the scammer and his location. The case was escalated to international law enforcement, and diplomatic channels were engaged.

He described this crime as akin to “skinning the victims alive,” emphasising that such scams do not exclusively target women—men also fall prey, albeit at a lower rate. Scammers emotionally manipulate their victims, gradually draining their wealth in a calculated and ruthless manner.

Social media and dating platforms have made it easier for scammers to exploit victims through “social engineering.” Many users publicly share personal details about their lives, allowing fraudsters to study their targets, identify vulnerabilities, and exploit their interests to gain trust.

Al Hajri warned, “Imagine someone who knows everything about you—your social and financial status, emotional needs, and whether you are lonely or fulfilled. Now, add to that the fact that this person is a professional scammer with exceptional manipulation skills.”

He pointed out that traditional scammers once faced the challenge of studying their targets, but social media has simplified this process, providing them with easy access to their victims.

The brigadier further revealed that organised crime groups specialise in hunting victims online, particularly through social media. However, Dubai Police is well-equipped to handle these fraudsters, with trained personnel actively tracking such crimes. Some perpetrators have already been arrested, while others remain under international pursuit. He also mentioned that Dubai’s cyber patrol units operate 24/7 to combat the rising number of cybercrimes, which have significantly increased in the past year.

Al Hajri noted that Dubai Police receives dozens of daily reports from individuals whose email accounts have been hacked, whose important messages have been lost, or who have been blackmailed via Skype, Facebook, and Instagram. He emphasized the importance of precautionary measures, such as restricting access to Facebook groups and reporting suspicious accounts for removal.

He concluded by stressing that cybercrimes are transnational and can be executed from anywhere without immediate accountability. However, increasing public awareness and digital literacy can help reduce the success rate of these scams. He urged victims to report fraud without fear and to provide all relevant information, no matter how minor, to assist authorities in tracking down perpetrators.