Dubai: The Emirates Post Group (EmPost) has issued an alert to residents over a new scam that claims to offer prizes in their entity's name.
Describing the scam, Empost explained that con artists send a SMS or WhatsApp message to residents and invite them to participate in a special promotion.
In exchange for their personal information, residents allegedly have the opportunity to win a Samsung Galaxy S10 smart phone.
In a statement, Empost announced that the promotion currently circulating around the UAE is in no way affiliated with the government body.
“There is a fraudulent campaign in the name of Emirates Post asking customers to participate in winning a Samsung S10. Please note that this did not come from Emirates Post and is therefore not under the group’s liability,” it said.
EmPost also stressed that they have alerted the relevant authorities, and intend to file a court case against the scammers.
On their Twitter account, EmPost said: “We advise that you delete the fraudulent link/message immediately to protect your personal information. We are working with Cyber Security and the authorities to bring an end to this scam and to prosecute those who created it.”
Penalty for scammers
President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued Federal Law No. 5 of 2012 of the Cyber Crime Law to protect the privacy of information published online including data, information, credit card numbers, bank account statements and details of electronic payment methods.
Article 12 expands the categories of private information and punishes any person who unlawfully accesses credit card numbers, electronic card numbers, bank account statements and details of electronic payment methods by imprisonment and/or a fine. It punishes the intent to use and the use of such information to obtain funds belonging to third parties by imprisonment of not less than six months and/or a fine not less than Dh200,000 and not exceeding Dh1 million.
Article 14 of the New Cyber Crime Law also prohibits a person from obtaining without permission a confidential number, code or password used to access any electronic site without permission by providing for imprisonment and/or a fine not less than Dh200,000 and not exceeding Dh500,000
Article 13 further prohibits the forgery, imitation and copying of a credit card, debit card, and any other electronic payment method and punishes persons from using and knowingly accepting such credit cards, debit cards, and/or other electronic payment methods with imprisonment and/or a fine of not less than Dh500,000 and not exceeding Dh2 million.
Source: Al Tamimi Lawyers and Co.
