Dubai Police warn against fake travel promotions

As part of "Fraud Awareness campaign, Dubai Police warned community members against falling victim to electronic fraud related to fake travel and tourism offers, which become significantly active during holiday seasons and summer vacations, exploiting the desire of individuals and families to obtain low-price offers and tempting bookings to international tourist destinations.

The Fraud Control Centre at the General Department of Criminal Investigation (CID) at Dubai Police confirmed that fraudsters resort to creating fake websites or dummy accounts across social media platforms, through which they offer travel packages, hotels, and flight tickets at prices much lower than actual market rates, aiming to lure victims and motivate them to transfer money quickly before the fraud is discovered.

The centre explained that some fake entities use professional logos and images, impersonating the names of well-known tourism companies or licensed travel agencies to add credibility to their advertisements, while fraudsters communicate with victims via messaging apps or phone calls to convince them to complete the booking quickly under the pretext of limited seats or the offer expiring within hours.

Dubai Police indicated that many victims later discover that the bookings are not real, or that travel tickets and hotels are unconfirmed, after they have transferred funds to personal accounts or unknown payment links, which leads to financial losses and difficulties related to travel and family holiday plans.

Dubai Police called on the public to exercise caution and not be lured by misleading advertisements or offers which seem illogical compared to prevailing prices, emphasising the importance of dealing only with accredited and licensed tourism companies and agencies within the UAE or through trusted official platforms.

They also stressed the importance of verifying the authenticity of electronic links before entering any personal or banking data, noting that some fake sites may closely resemble original sites with simple differences in the domain name or spelling, which requires scrutiny before completing any electronic payment process.

Dubai Police emphasised the necessity of avoiding transferring money to personal or anonymous accounts, not sharing bank card data, PIN codes, or passwords with any untrusted entity, and reporting fraud or suspicious sites through official channels, specifically via the "e-Crime" platform or by calling (901) for non-emergency cases.