Dubai Police warn against downloading untrusted applications

The E-Crimes and Cybersecurity Department at the General Department of Criminal Investigation (CID) in Dubai Police warned community members about the risks of downloading applications from untrusted sources, as they may contain malicious software which enables fraudsters to digitally infiltrate smartphones, steal personal and banking data, and seize funds from bank accounts.

The department published an awareness video on this regard, emphasising that fraudsters create bait through applications which suit victims and what they are looking for, such as banking services, investments, security updates, or others, which leads victims to download the applications and consequently fall into the fraudsters' trap.

As soon as victims download the applications, fraudsters can easily digitally infiltrate their phones and steal their data and money without their knowledge, the department added.

It also stressed the importance of downloading applications exclusively from official authorised stores, not sharing passwords or access codes with anyone, using trusted protection programmes, activating banking alerts to protect accounts, and avoiding suspicious links.

The department affirmed that awareness among community members is the first line of defence to prevent any type of fraud crime, calling for the necessity of immediate reporting of any fraud attempt through the Dubai Police smart application, or by calling 901, or through the E-crime platform dedicated to receiving reports of electronic crimes.