Reporting Online Fraud Through eCrime, the MoI, and the FPP — UAE
Sourced from UAE federal decrees, laws, and ministerial decisions. Written in plain language for general understanding — this is educational content, not legal advice. Our editorial standards
What is this right?
The UAE runs three formal cybercrime reporting channels in parallel. The choice is jurisdictional. Dubai Police eCrime handles offences inside Dubai. The UAE Ministry of Interior eCrime platform (via the MoI UAE app) handles federal and multi-emirate offences anywhere in the country. The UAE Federal Public Prosecution's My Safe Society app sits above both and allows victims to submit and track cases directly with prosecutors. All three feed the prosecution framework in Federal Decree-Law 34/2021.
Filing creates the criminal-case record but does not, on its own, recover money — that runs in parallel through the bank and the CBUAE complaint route. The reports do, however, provide the case numbers the CBUAE, Sanadak, and the civil courts rely on to evaluate the consumer's diligence.
When does it apply?
- Any online fraud, phishing, account takeover, identity theft, blackmail, or impersonation occurring in the UAE.
- An investment, crypto, or trading scheme operated through UAE phone numbers, bank accounts, or platforms.
- An unsolicited message asks for OTPs, banking details, or document copies on behalf of a UAE entity (police, customs, tax authority, courier).
- A fake job offer, fake landlord, or fake delivery-fee scam targeting UAE residents.
Filing the Right UAE Cybercrime Report
- Decide the jurisdiction. If everything is Dubai-based — your bank, the scammer's UAE bank account, the platform — file at eCrime.ae or call 901. For multi-emirate or non-Dubai cases, file with the MoI UAE app.
- File at eCrime.ae (Dubai cases). The portal asks for the complainant details, the nature of the cybercrime, the channel (email / phone / app / website), the evidence, and the financial details. The Dubai Police app is the mobile equivalent. Live chat is available.
- File through the MoI UAE app (federal cases). The MoI app supports cybercrime reporting across all emirates. You can also call 999 for emergencies or the relevant emirate police non-emergency line.
- Track via the My Safe Society app. Operated by the UAE Federal Public Prosecution, it allows tracking of cyber-related cases directly with prosecutors. Useful where the case has prosecution potential.
- Provide every piece of evidence. Screenshots of WhatsApp / iMessage threads, full email headers, transaction receipts, voice recordings, and the timeline document. Federal Decree-Law 34/2021 requires the prosecutor to establish the offence on the documentary record — completeness materially affects outcome.
- Cross-reference your case numbers. Each portal generates a tracking number. Add them to the timeline document. The CBUAE complaint and any Sanadak escalation will ask for the police reference.
What should you NOT do?
- Don't publish the scam details on UAE social media. Federal Decree-Law 34/2021 and other UAE laws regulate public commentary on pending criminal matters; the evidence belongs in the official channel first.
- Don't expect a personal investigator. Like other national fraud reporting systems, most reports feed pattern intelligence rather than producing an individual case officer. The report's value to you is unlocking the bank, CBUAE, and Sanadak routes — and supporting a civil claim if you take one.
- Don't pay 'recovery agents' charging upfront fees. CBUAE and Dubai Police repeatedly warn that recovery-scam patterns target UAE victims. All meaningful UAE recovery routes are free.
- Don't ignore the call from a real prosecutor. If the My Safe Society app's tracking moves into 'investigation', a federal prosecutor may contact you for clarifying detail. Verify the caller by independently calling the FPP — but engage genuinely once verified.
Common Questions
Is calling 901 the same as filing at eCrime.ae?
901 is the Dubai Police non-emergency call centre — useful for getting human guidance on what to file and where. eCrime.ae generates the formal written complaint and the tracking number that downstream complaints rely on. Most people use both: a 901 call for guidance and an eCrime.ae filing for the record.
What if the scammer is overseas?
File at the UAE level anyway — the bank-side recovery via the CBUAE rules operates on your UAE financial institution regardless of where the scammer sits. International prosecution depends on mutual legal assistance treaties and rarely produces individual recovery, but the report supports the bank-side case.
Does FDL 34/2021 require me to file in any particular emirate?
No. Federal Decree-Law 34/2021 is federal — jurisdiction sits with the public prosecution. You file at the channel that matches where the crime occurred (eCrime.ae for Dubai; MoI app for federal/multi-emirate). The Federal Public Prosecution coordinates across emirates.
Are there free UAE legal aid channels for scam victims?
Limited. The UAE does not run a Citizens-Advice-style consumer-rights helpline. The Department of Economic Development in each emirate handles consumer-fraud complaints against UAE-licensed businesses; the CBUAE handles bank-related complaints; the Sanadak ombudsman handles unresolved bank/insurance disputes. For criminal-side help, the Federal Public Prosecution's My Safe Society app is the primary channel.
When does it apply — reporting online fraud through ecrime, the moi, and the fpp?
Any online fraud, phishing, account takeover, identity theft, blackmail, or impersonation occurring in the UAE.An investment, crypto, or trading scheme operated through UAE phone numbers, bank accounts, or platforms.An unsolicited message asks for OTPs, banking details, or document copies on behalf of a UAE entity (police, customs, tax authority, courier).A fake job offer, fake landlord, or fake delivery-fee scam targeting UAE residents.
Where do I report a scam in the UAE?
Decide the jurisdiction. If everything is Dubai-based — your bank, the scammer's UAE bank account, the platform — file at eCrime.ae or call 901. For multi-emirate or non-Dubai cases, file with the MoI UAE app.File at eCrime.ae (Dubai cases). The portal asks for the complainant details, the nature of the cybercrime, the channel (email / phone / app / website), the evidence, and the financial details. The Dubai Police app is the mobile equivalent. Live chat is available.File through the MoI UAE app (federal cases). The MoI app supports cybercrime reporting across all emirates. You can also call...
What should you NOT do — reporting online fraud through ecrime, the moi, and the fpp?
Don't publish the scam details on UAE social media. Federal Decree-Law 34/2021 and other UAE laws regulate public commentary on pending criminal matters; the evidence belongs in the official channel first.Don't expect a personal investigator. Like other national fraud reporting systems, most reports feed pattern intelligence rather than producing an individual case officer. The report's value to you is unlocking the bank, CBUAE, and Sanadak routes — and supporting a civil claim if you take one.Don't pay 'recovery agents' charging upfront fees. CBUAE and Dubai Police repeatedly warn that recove...