Dubai Police Arrest Two in Dh11.8 Million Phone Scam That Forced Victims to Sell Gold Jewellery

DUBAI – October 7, 2026: Dubai Police have arrested two people in connection with a phone-scam operation that drained more than Dh11.8 million (about $3.2 million) from residents across the emirate, after investigators found the fraudsters intimidated victims into selling their gold jewellery and cutting off contact with their families.

The Anti-Fraud Centre at Dubai Police made the arrests after forming a specialist task force in response to a series of complaints, police said. The total documented losses stand at Dh11,877,532, according to figures released by the force.

Posing as officials

Investigators said the suspects contacted victims by phone while impersonating employees of government and international organisations. Callers told victims their names had surfaced in legal cases outside the country and warned of serious legal consequences.

Victims were then instructed to transfer money from their bank accounts to accounts outside the UAE. The transfers were presented as a routine verification of the legitimacy of the victims’ funds, with promises that the money would be returned once the process was complete, police said.

Gold sales and hotel isolation

Police said the suspects escalated their pressure tactics when victims could not send enough money. In several cases, victims were told to sell their gold jewellery and transfer the proceeds, on the claim that the amounts already sent were insufficient to complete the supposed verification.

The fraudsters also instructed victims to book hotel rooms and stop communicating with family and friends until they received confirmation that the fictitious cases against them had been cleared. Investigators said the tactic was designed to isolate victims, tighten control and keep the fraud running.

Recruited from abroad

During questioning, the suspects told investigators they had been recruited by a company outside the UAE through social media and received victims’ personal data and instructions through a dedicated app, in exchange for commissions, police said. Payments were made after each successful transaction.

The task force traced the movement of funds to identify the two suspects, and officers recovered victims’ data and other evidence from their mobile phones. Legal procedures have been taken against both individuals, police added.

Police warning

Dubai Police urged residents to remain vigilant, to verify any unsolicited contact through officially approved channels, and to report suspected fraud through the force’s eCrime platform or its 901 call centre.