Dubai Police have issued a warning over the increasing misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) to forge official and unofficial documents, a practice increasingly linked to financial fraud and attempts to evade the law.
The alert came from the Anti-Fraud Centre at the General Department of Criminal Investigation, which urged institutions, companies, and the public to exercise caution and verify any documents received via email or social media.
As part of the ongoing Beware of Fraud campaign, Dubai Police emphasized the importance of digital awareness.
Fraudsters are exploiting AI tools to create documents that appear professionally written and formatted. However, specialists can often spot red flags such as inconsistent information, wording that does not match official templates, and fake signatures or stamps.
Authorities advised the public not to rely solely on a document’s appearance. Verification should include checking the source, reviewing digital file metadata like creation and modification dates, and confirming official reference numbers.
The Anti-Fraud Centre stressed that using AI for document forgery is a criminal offense punishable by law, and public vigilance remains the first line of defense against fraud. Suspected cases should be reported immediately through the Dubai Police smart app, by calling 901, or via the eCrime platform for cybercrime reporting.
Dubai Police highlighted the UAE’s strict penalties for document forgery:
• Official documents: Forgery is punishable by up to 10 years’ temporary imprisonment under Article 252 of Federal Decree Law No. 31 of 2021. Using a forged copy knowingly carries up to five years’ imprisonment (Article 253).
• Unofficial documents: Forgery carries imprisonment; using forged copies is also punishable.
• Electronic documents: Under Article 14 of Federal Decree Law No. 34 of 2021, forging a government-issued electronic document can result in temporary imprisonment and fines of Dh150,000–Dh750,000. Forged documents from other entities carry imprisonment and fines of Dh100,000–Dh300,000, or both, with the same penalties for knowingly using such documents.
Dubai Police urged the public to remain alert and verify documents carefully to prevent falling victim to AI-driven fraud.
