Dubai Police warns against falling victim to fake Hajj campaign advertisements

The Dubai Police General Command, represented by the Anti-Fraud Center of the General Department of Criminal Investigations and Investigations, warned members of the community of electronic fraud methods targeting those wishing to perform Hajj and Umrah rituals, and exploiting their desire to visit the Holy House of God, by publishing fake campaigns and misleading advertisements across social media platforms and digital platforms, including attractive offers, low prices, and alleged facilities for booking and travel, with the aim of seizing money and the personal and financial data of the victims.

This warning comes as part of Dubai Police’s ongoing efforts to enhance community awareness through the “Be Aware of Fraud” campaign regarding many new and innovative methods of fraudsters, some of which emerge during specific seasons and times of the year, including the Hajj season, to promote unapproved Hajj and Umrah campaigns, claiming to provide “guaranteed” packages at lower prices than usual, or to obtain visas and permits urgently, taking advantage of some people’s desire to seize the opportunity, and then quickly Fraudsters ask to transfer money in advance to complete the procedures, but they disappear without providing any real service.

Dubai Police explained that this type of crime witnesses a significant increase during the periods preceding the Hajj and Umrah seasons, as a result of the increasing demand for searching for offers and campaigns through advertisements spread on websites and social media platforms, which prompts fraudsters to intensify their activity by creating fake accounts and pages, impersonating the names of well-known institutions and companies, and using images, logos and designs to give credibility to their fake advertisements.

The Dubai Police General Command stressed the importance of ensuring that official and reliable Hajj and Umrah campaigns are approved by the competent authorities, and not to deal with any unreliable or unlicensed party, no matter how attractive its offers may seem, calling on community members not to transfer any sums of money before fully verifying the entity providing the service, and ensuring that there is an official headquarters and an approved commercial register for the entity dealing with it.

Dubai Police directed the public to enhance their awareness by accessing the “e-Crime Hub” platform, to raise awareness of cybercrimes. It also called on community members to immediately report any suspicious messages, links or advertisements through official channels, through the “e-Crime” platform or by calling (901) for non-emergency cases.