Dubai Police have urged the public not to fall foul of opportunistic cyber criminals exploiting a rise in online shopping during Eid Al Fitr.
The force issued a warning over fraudsters attempting to lure unsuspecting bargain hunters by offering discount deals on fake websites resembling those of established brands.
People who have place orders on such sites never received the items they paid for, police said.
Offenders withdraw money from customers' accounts once they enter their credit card details to make a purchase, said Major Gen Jamal Al Jallaf, director of the Criminal Investigation Department at Dubai Police.
Sophisticated crime
“Internet users should only purchase items online via trusted and verified websites,” he said. “Cyber crime is constantly evolving, especially in light of the overuse of social media and the increased number of people who liked online shopping.”
Dubai Police urged residents who suspect their information has been stolen to file a report using the force’s app, its e-crime website, by calling 901 or by visiting the nearest smart police station.
“The e-crime platform has significantly helped curb cyber crime and detect new methods of scamming people,” Major Gen Al Jallaf added.
Group-IB, a provider of cybersecurity solutions, identified thousands of scams on internet users in the Middle East and Africa.
In one case, criminals were found impersonating more than 200 of the MENA region's most prominent brands using a fake questionnaire.
“Users were promised a 'Ramadan gift' for filling out the survey,” Sharef Hlal, head of the digital risk protection analytics team at Group-IB, told The National. “But rather than receive a prize, individuals were redirected to other phishing sites that ask them to fill in their personal information.”
Once the scheme, which comprised more than 100,000 fake domains, was uncovered, Group-IB took down all the domains that purported to be well-known brands belonging to their clients.
Rise in scams during holidays
Mr Hlal said that holiday sales, such as those at Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr, tend to attract bargain hunters and online scammers alike.
“Festive periods are very often accompanied by an increase in scam activity,” he added. “The core aim of online scammers is to steal data. This includes the log-in credentials and passwords of user accounts, or individuals' bank card details.
“In order to trick unsuspecting users, scammers create convincing clones of the websites and social media pages of prominent brands.”
Mr Hlal added that scammers also try to start conversations on instant messaging apps in a ploy to fool
victims.
He urged the public to remain on guard at all times when browsing the internet, especially during the holidays.
“Make sure you double check the URLs of websites contained in promotional posts on social media and that messengers are genuine,” he added.
“We also recommend that users do not follow links from unknown sources, especially those that claim to be offering prizes or large discounts for completing a questionnaire.”
He also called on retailers to keep an eye on the internet and social media to detect any misuse of their brand's logo.
“If any violations are discovered, retailers should issue warnings to consumers.”
A survey by Toluna, a market research company, found consumers in the UAE intend to buy 33 per cent more this Ramadan and Eid than last year.
The report found this has risen in every industry, including entertainment.
“Eid holidays and festive long weekends have become one of the most lucrative times of the year for cyber criminals,” said Emad Fahmy, systems engineering manager for the Middle East at Netscout, an advanced network detection and response platform.
“There is a growing trend of consumers to shift their purchasing online,” Mr Fahmy told The National. “Cyber criminals profit from the surge in digital transactions and online shopping, which puts a tremendous amount of strain on online retailers.”
In April this year, two fraudsters were sentenced to one month in jail and deportation for luring an Emirati shopper to buy a motorbike online for Dhs22,000.
The two, from Nigeria, monitored the victim's buying trends and posted a social media advert in December last year. The shopper contacted them on WhatsApp to arrange payment for the bike.
The Emirati man ended up paying Dhs44,000 in advance to secure the motorbike, before scammers asked for extra sums for insurance, customs and shipping fees. The two men were arrested by Dubai Police in January.
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
more from Janine di Giovanni
Volunteers offer workers a lifeline
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.
Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
Scorecard:
England 458 & 119/1 (51.0 ov)
South Africa 361
England lead by 216 runs with 9 wickets remaining
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sav%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Purvi%20Munot%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24750%2C000%20as%20of%20March%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Everton
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: Sunday, kick-off 7pm (UAE)
How to watch: Live on BeIN Sports 11HD
Emirates exiles
Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.
Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.
Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.
Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
