Sat, Nov 30, 2024 | Jumada al-Awwal 28, 1446 | DXB ktweather icon0°C

Dubai expat scammed in fake '90% discount on chocolate' National Day promotion

Cybersecurity experts warn that these scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated

Published: Sat 30 Nov 2024, 6:00 AM

Updated: Sat 30 Nov 2024, 7:49 AM

Top Stories

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.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

She consulted her husband, Hakim, before ordering ten 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.

Most recently, another expat named Abdul Kader reported losing Dh16,055 through four unauthorised transactions after clicking on a Facebook ad for discounted burgers.

Cybersecurity experts warn that these scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated. “Fraudulent websites posing as legitimate platforms exploit users’ trust and entice them with attractive offers,” said Obaidullah Kazmi, founder and chief technology officer of CREDO Technology Services LLC.

Kazmi emphasised the importance of education campaigns to raise awareness and recommended that banks adopt AI-driven systems to detect anomalies and predict fraudulent activities in real-time.

Authorities and banks continue to urge residents to verify website authenticity before making online transactions, particularly when prompted by social media advertisements.

ALSO READ:



Next Story