A legal expert in Abu Dhabi has warned residents against extortion and blackmail by online scammers.
Warning against opening or clicking on links from suspicious and unknown senders, the expert said that it can lead to hackers breaking into electronic devices or emails and stealing personal information, including bank details and passwords.
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These online predators can also commit online crimes such as extortion, threats and blackmail using other people’s emails and social media accounts, said Dr. Youssef Al Sharif, lawyer and advocate.
He said families and the general public should be cautious about suspicious websites, links and emails that steal their personal details and use them in various deceptive methods.
“It is a good thing that people be vigilant while using the Internet to avoid falling victim to hackers who may steal their personal details and passwords to impersonate them. This might land them in trouble for crimes they haven’t committed,” said Al Sharif.
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Under Article 10 of the UAE Rumors Law stipulates ‘an imprisonment and a fine of not less than AED 500,000 and not more than AED 2 million or one of these two penalties, for anyone who circumvents the internet protocol address (IP address) of the information network and using the IP address belonging to others, or by any other means, with the intention of committing a crime or preventing its detection, he added.
Internet users have also been advised against opening links or attachments they receive via email or SMS from unknown sources while using public Wi-Fi.
