Scamsters on the Prowl Again, This Time Posing as UAE Central Bank

 

A fraudulent scheme has emerged once again on various social networking platforms in the UAE, tricking residents into revealing personal information and banking details to scammers.

Several residents told The Law Reporters they have recently received dubious messages on their WhatsApp accounts, sparking worries regarding their legitimacy.

A similar scam had emerged last year, stirring panic among the public. The concerning development prompted the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) to issue a warning, urging residents to refrain from engaging with deceptive emails and notices.

A resident of the UAE has confirmed receiving a WhatsApp message claimed to be from Ministry of Finance UAE and Ministry of Interior. The message included a PDF document stating that immediate action must be taken to prevent the freezing of the recipient's bank account. The resident noted that the fraudsters employed logos and stamps resembling those of the ministries to enhance authenticity. Nevertheless, upon closer scrutiny, it became apparent that the message was fake.

The messages read: “Sorry for the inconvenience, but we need your immediate attention. Due to security reasons, your bank account (ATM, Debit, Credit Cards) is set to be frozen temporarily.”

The CBUAE clarified on its website last year that it is not a retail bank and does not engage in transactions or hold funds for the public. It emphasised that any claims of funds held at CBUAE or investment opportunities purportedly from the institution are likely fraudulent. Scammers often exploit the CBUAE's name, logo, and employee identities without authorization.

How to Identify a Scam?

To help individuals identify such scams, the CBUAE as provided some key points:

• CBUAE never communicates via public email accounts like Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo, nor through social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter.
• Official emails from CBUAE always originate from addresses ending in @cbuae.gov.ae, with no variations.
• Victims of fraud are encouraged to report incidents to local law enforcement and inform CBUAE of any misuse of its name, logo, or employee identities.

Individuals can confidentially report incidents or seek assistance by emailing information.security@cbuae.gov.ae or sending a written letter to Head -- CBUAE Information Security, PO Box 854, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

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