Indian and Lebanese residents in the UAE have been urged by their governments to be on high alert in the fight against cyber criminals.
The Lebanese embassy in the Emirates warned that crooks are pretending to be embassy staff and asking for personal details to resolve a legal matter over the phone. Indian residents in the UAE have been warned not to hand over biometric data or personal documents to unauthorised agents offering help with the visa process, exit permits and Emirates IDs.
The Indian consulate-general in Dubai reported that scammers are going after Indian citizens, and in particular blue-collar workers, by posing as agents. This warning comes after reports of people falsely claiming they can arrange Emergency Certificates, exit permits or outpasses, Emirates IDs, visa regularisation and employment.
After obtaining victims' facial and fingerprint scans, these scammers illegally conduct financial transactions, open bank accounts, or secure loans and credit cards in the victims' names without their knowledge or consent. Victims may then be held liable and face fines, travel bans or even imprisonment, according to the consulate.
Biometric data warning
The consulate stated that biometric scans required for exit permits, Emirates IDs or visa regularisation should be provided only at official UAE government facilities and counters.
Indian residents should not provide their passports, Emirates ID details, facial or eye scans, fingerprints, or personal and financial information to individuals, agents or third-party service providers claiming to be authorised by UAE authorities.
The consulate also clarified that neither the Indian consulate general in Dubai nor the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi requires fingerprints, facial scans or eye scans from applicants seeking a passport or Emergency Certificate.
“Any individual or agent demanding such biometric data in the name of the embassy is engaging in fraud and should not be entertained,” the consulate said.
Indians approached by an agent requesting biometric information or an Emirates ID should contact the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayta Kendra helpline to verify the agent’s credentials or seek assistance.
The helpline can be reached at 800 46342, while assistance is also available via WhatsApp or SMS at (054) 309 0571 or by email at pbsk.dubai@mea.gov.in.
The consulate urges Indians living in or visiting the UAE to verify the credentials of anyone offering immigration, documentation or employment-related services and to report any suspicious activity to the Indian mission or relevant UAE authorities.
Fraudulent phone calls
The embassy of Lebanon in the UAE posted a warning on Monday on its social media accounts about scammers posing as an official from the UAE embassy in Lebanon and calling Lebanese residents claiming that a legal matter requires urgent action.
“There have been fraudulent phone calls to members of the Lebanese community by individuals impersonating official authorities claiming there is a legal, administrative or official matter,” the embassy said in the post.
“They ask to appoint a representative or agent and to pay money to resolve the issue. The scammers use genuine or personal information about the victims to make the call appear credible. The caller’s name or number display in a way that suggests the call is coming from an official recognised entity.”
Bassam Ahmed, a 50-year-old Lebanese resident in Dubai, told The National that he received a call from a person claiming to be from the UAE embassy in Lebanon.
“He posed as an official from the UAE embassy in Beirut and told me there is a problem that I need to settle,” Mr Ahmed said. “I closed the phone from my side to check the number and it was the same number of the embassy in Beirut.”
He called Dubai authorities to report the incident, and it was confirmed to him that it was a scam.
“The scammer called me again and I said police were alerted and he closed the phone,” he added. “Police in the UAE always boost our awareness about phone scams and it's our duty to report such calls and not to communicate more with the scammers.”
