Police in Ajman urged the public not to fall prey to fast-food fraudsters setting up fake restaurant websites.
The force sent out a warning that cyber criminals were advertising meal deals on social media using the names of established eateries in the emirate to lure victims into supplying their card details.
Customers trying to place orders were directed to web pages that they believed to belong to bona fide restaurants and asked to make payments by card.
The thieves then stole their money.
Offenders have sought to exploit rising internet use during the coronavirus pandemic.
Ajman Police reported a trend of fake government websites being used to catch out members of the public.
They said many of the fraudsters were based abroad.
New safety restrictions introduced at restaurants in Ajman led many restaurateurs to shift their focus from in-person dining to deliveries.
Last month, the emirate’s emergency, crisis and disaster management team ordered restaurants and cafes to close by 11pm to reduce coronavirus infections.
Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, head of cyber security for the UAE government, said in December that cyber attacks had soared since the onset of the outbreak as more people went online for work, shopping and socialising.
“With the digital transformation happening across all sectors in the UAE, attacks will increase, but so too will the adoption of protective measures,” he said during the Gitex technology conference in Dubai.
“Phishing campaigns are one of the major threats we see here in the UAE, alongside the use of ransomware.
“These attacks increased with the dawn of the remote-working situation.”
