Three mobile phone scamming gangs arrested in UAE-wide bust

Twenty-five men of Asian origin are arrested in Sharjah and Ajman for defrauding residents of their money

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - January 2, 2010: 

A man speaks on a cell or mobile phone outside of Madinat Zayed Shopping centre in Abu Dhabi.

( Ryan Carter / The National )
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Three mobile phone scamming gangs have been arrested across the UAE in a multi-emirate police operation.

Twenty-five men of Asian origin were arrested in Sharjah and Ajman and had their mobile phones confiscated for defrauding residents of their money. The men would call people, claiming to be service providers, and ask for their bankcard details or personal information. The men would then use that information to transfer money from their accounts.

Two of the gangs – comprising 14 scammers - were arrested in Sharjah while the remaining 11 were arrested in Ajman. Police stormed their respective dens where the scammers had carried out their criminal activities, Abu Dhabi Police said on Saturday.

Brig Gen Imran Al Mazrouei, director of Abu Dhabi Police’s Criminal Investigation Department, thanked the police in the other two emirates for their co-operation and warned mobile phone users never to give out personal information to cold callers.

He said many of the victims said the callers pretended to be contacting them on behalf of their bank, claiming they needed the victim’s personal details to unblock their bank card.

Brig Gen Al Mazrouei called on the public to report any suspected scammers on the toll-free number 8002626 or through SMS to sms2828.