25 arrested for phone fraud in UAE
ABU DHABI POLICE, ALONG WITH SHARJAH AND AJMAN POLICE, BUST THREE GANGS INVOLVED IN DUPING PUBLIC, 25 HELD
Amajor UAE operation involving police from Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman has led to the arrests of suspected gang members who, law enforcement personnel said, were running bank fraud scams over the phone, officials revealed yesterday.
Abu Dhabi Police said it arrested three gangs, comprised a total of 25 Asian suspects.
The suspects would call victims to retrieve their private banking details, added Abu Dhabi Police.
Brigadier General Imran Ahmad Al Mazrouei, Director of Criminal Investigation Department at Abu Dhabi Police, said the three gangs were arrested separately two gangs’ members arrested in Sharjah and the third gang in Ajman.
Al Mazroui said that a number of mobile phones and SIM cards that were used by the suspects were seized during the arrests.
The Abu Dhabi Police yesterday said it arrested three gangs of 25 Asian suspects who were involved in fraud over the telephone. The operation also involving the Sharjah and Ajman Police.
According to the Abu Dhabi Police, the suspects would call residents with the intent of retrieving their private banking details.
Brigadier General Imran Ahmad Al Mazroui, Director of
Criminal Investigation Department at Abu Dhabi Police, said the three gangs were arrested separately, with the first two gangs numbering 14 suspects in Sharjah. The third gang consisting of 11 members were arrested in the emirate of Ajman.
Al Mazroui said that a number of mobile phones and SIM cards that were used by the suspects were seized during the arrests.
Banks don’t use agents
Al Mazroui called on the public to be vigilant and to not fall victim to such gangs by revealing their bank information. He pointed out that banks do not ask for updates or such information through the phone by calling customers, and that residents should only update any information directly with their bank.
Al Mazroui said that there have been a number of recent incidents involving victims whom have fallen for these scams, believing their bank accounts to have been frozen and proceeding to give out their banking details over the phone and to the scammers.
In April this year, Abu Dhabi Police carried out another major bust of phone scammers in cooperation with Ajman Police, with 24 suspects being arrested. The gang would scam residents promising fake cash prizes. Victims were asked to transfer their telephone recharge cards as charges for receiving the winning cash that never existed.
In February, two other gangs of Asian men were arrested, with one of them running a sophisticated operation which saw members receiving a salary of Dh1,200 per month plus incentives based on the number of people they scammed. Many of the suspects were brought into the country by the ring leaders to take part in the scheme.