Dh6.95 for Dubai viral chocolate? Expat scammed in fake UAE National Day promo

A Dubai-based Indian housewife became the latest victim of a phishing scam after being enticed by a Facebook advertisement offering a 90 per cent discount on Fix chocolates as part of a fake UAE National Day promotion.

Rasheeda Gadiwala, 34, a resident of Al Nahda 2, ended up losing $500 (Dh1,836) on Thursday after attempting to place the order.

Rasheeda, who regularly shops online, said the advertisement appeared genuine. “It had the same logo and looked very believable. I’ve been shopping online for years, so I can usually tell what’s fake and what isn’t,” she told Khaleej Times.

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She consulted her husband, Hakim, before ordering 10 chocolates priced at just Dh6.95 each. The ad promised delivery within an hour. “My wife was very excited,” Hakim said, adding that when the transaction initially didn’t go through and they didn’t receive a one-time password (OTP), he felt relieved as he thought the system had blocked a dodgy transaction.

However, the relief was short-lived. The next morning, Hakim received a notification that $500 had been charged to their credit card. “My wife uses a secondary card, and I deliberately keep the limit low. Thankfully, the scammers could only take what was left. But I’m shocked they managed to charge the card without an OTP," he said.

Hakim contacted the bank, but the response was disheartening. “They told me I should have been more careful,” he said. While accepting partial blame, he argued that the bank also bears responsibility. “We were fortunate it was $500 and not $5,000. What if someone couldn’t afford such a loss?”

Growing trend

Rasheeda’s ordeal highlights a growing trend of phishing scams targeting UAE residents through social media. Fraudulent websites impersonate legitimate food delivery platforms, luring victims with enticing discounts to steal their credit card details.

Earlier cases include Bur Dubai resident Sarika Thadani, who lost Dh9,872 in August after trying to purchase discounted chicken fries for Dh29 as a birthday treat for her mother. Similarly, Dubai resident Rahul Khillare was charged Dh14,000 instead of Dh14 for a combo meal, while another victim was billed Dh4,848 after attempting to order fast food online.

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