Reporting a scam in United Arab Emirates
First hour, in order
- Call your bank. Call your bank immediately; UAE banks operate 24-hour fraud lines.
- Stop paying. No fee, tax or "release payment" ever unlocks money that does not exist.
- Screenshot everything before you delete an app, block a number or close an account.
- Then report using the routes below. Reporting is slower than the bank call, and less urgent — but it is what produces enforcement.
Cybercrime in the UAE is reported through the Ministry of Interior’s eCrime service and to the police force of the relevant emirate. The UAE also appears in enforcement actions as a place where scam-centre operators have been arrested.
Where to report
eCrime — UAE cybercrime reporting
Also worth using
- Dubai Police — 901
- Abu Dhabi Police Aman — 8002626
- Central Bank of the UAE
What not to do
- Do not pay anyone to recover your money. No legitimate service charges an up-front fee to get stolen funds back, and people who have just been scammed are the primary market for recovery scams.
- Do not use contact details the scammer gave you — not the phone number, not the "support" chat, not a link in a message. Look the agency up yourself.
- Do not delete the evidence. Apps, chats, wallet addresses and transaction IDs are what make a report actionable.
- Do not send one more payment. This is where most of the largest losses happen.
Sources
- Report cybercrime. Ministry of Interior, United Arab Emirates. Accessed 2026-09-06.
- Dubai Police. Dubai Police. Accessed 2026-09-06.