UAE authority warns residents of fake shopping sites, online scams

Abu Dhabi's judicial authority on Tuesday issued an advisory, warning residents of shopping scams that they may encounter online.

The alert comes as reports of people falling victim to online fraud continue to emerge despite repeated warnings. Some racketeers have also been coming up with new ways of duping and hacking into residents' bank accounts. Just last month, an expat ended up paying nearly Dh5,000 for 'burgers, fries, and drinks' as he received an online promo, which turned out to be a sham and led him to a bogus website that looked exactly like the official one.

Taking to Instagram, the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) posted a video illustrating the risks of buying products from unreliable websites that are frequently advertised on social media platforms.

The authority said these fake websites would usually offer items at very low prices to capture the attention of unsuspecting buyers.

Customers would make payments through bank transfers or credit cards. Once the trap is set, the deal is completed, and the money is transferred, the fraudsters disappear, leaving buyers in the lurch.

The ADJD said that besides getting hacked, those who shop from shady websites might also end up getting counterfeit goods. Worse, some won't receive anything at all.

Here are some ways residents can secure their accounts and avoid falling victim to online shopping scams:

• UAE scam alert: How merchants are getting conned into losing millions of dirhams