Two gangs of residents engaged in telephone-related fraud have been arrested by the Abu Dhabi Police in cooperation with Dubai Police, the Abu Dhabi Police announced in a statement on Saturday.

A total of 22 men of Asian origin were arrested, including one individual who managed both gangs.

Brigadier General Mohammad Suhail Al Rashidi, Director of Criminal Security at the Abu Dhabi Police, said it is important to ensure that innocent people do not fall prey to scams and fraudulent elements.

According to Brigadier General Imran Ahmad Al Mazroui, director of criminal investigation at Abu Dhabi Police’s criminal security department, the gangs had been operating from two residential apartments.

One of the gangs had been involved in phishing, a practice through which residents were contacted by phone, purportedly from reliable companies, in order to induce them to reveal sensitive personal information. The second gang then worked to seize the victims’ savings and finances using the information collected.

Al Mazroui praised the coordination and cooperation of the Abu Dhabi Police and Dubai Police, and added that it is important to keep developing security measures against such threats.

The statement also called upon residents to refrain from releasing personal information like passwords and bank details in order to avoid getting scammed.

SOURCE : GULFNEWS