Dubai beggars take to online fraudulence, fool people into donating during Ramadan

The Abu Dhabi police has issued a warning to the citizens of Dubai regarding online fraud by beggars.
It has also encouraged people to report of such issues immediately.
The police has arrested close to 207 beggars in the first half of Ramadan itself.

Beggars in Dubai take to online fraudulence fool people into donating for fake charity

This Ramadan, the Abu Dhabi Police has issued a warning on their official site, asking people not to give in to fake charity accounts created by beggars. Police said that they have so far received several such cases of online fraud that claim to seek funds for humanitarian purposes, but turned out to be scams instead that duped internet and social media users.

Authorities have also asked citizens to notify them about such cases at the earliest. The police has also asked social media users to spread the word among other social media users. In UAE, begging is not allowed. Police, so far, has arrested 207 beggars in the first half of Ramadan itself. Residents have been urged to donate money through verified accounts to avoid becoming a victim of electronic fraudulence.

Zakat or the donation of a percentage of one's salary is mandatory during Ramadan. And the number of people asking for such alms is increasing outside mosques. While that can be controlled by the police physically, the rise of online fraudulence is on the rise during these days. Many people are receiving spam emails, claiming to be from needy people. These emails draw the sympathy of the people with pictures of hungry children and women in war zones and refugee camps. Col Rasheed Boursheid urged people to ignore such mails. Major Gen Al Mansouri said that the police is trying to combat this social affliction through campaigns and awareness initiatives.