Dubai Police have arrested members of a fraud syndicate that scammed car sellers by using fake cheques and quickly exporting the vehicles out of the country.
The group was active both in and outside the UAE, according to the Criminal Investigation Department’s Anti-Fraud Centre.
The suspects contacted sellers through a popular online sales platform, pretending to be interested buyers. One member would inspect the car while another posed as a company representative to process the ownership transfer.
The fraudsters would schedule transactions late at night at a vehicle registration branch to appear legitimate and pressure sellers into quick decisions. After the car was transferred to the fake buyer, it would be exported immediately using a copy of the new registration documents.
Sellers only found out they were scammed when they tried to cash the cheque and realized it was forged. By then, the vehicle had already left the country.
Dubai Police emphasized that the group targeted high-value vehicles and used names of well-known companies to gain trust. They urged the public to be cautious and confirm cheque authenticity directly with banks before handing over vehicles.
Authorities are also reminding residents to report any fraud cases to the nearest police station or through the Dubai Police eCrime platform at www.ecrime.ae or via their smart app.
