Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Jul 04, 2025

Beware of dating apps, unlicensed massage parlours, Dubai Police warn

Beware of dating apps, unlicensed massage parlours, Dubai Police warn

Warning follows incidents of people falling prey to criminals lurking in dating sites

Police have warned online dating app users to be cautious while interacting with people on those apps.

In its latest video message, Dubai Police said: “Bad desires of some people may lead them to communicate with some unknown people through dating websites or unlicensed secret massage centres for luring victims first and then stealing and blackmailing them. Avoid being a victim of dating sites. Online dating platforms can be obvious targets for fraud, with scammers developing new faces of embezzlement.”

The video showed a man checking a dating app on his mobile phone and contacting strangers.

In the video, the man is shown to have received a message about the location of an unlicensed, secret, massage parlour. He drove his car to the centre, which was only a bait for criminals to steal his money and credit cards.

As soon as the apartment door opened, the man was seen going inside before he was heard screaming due to a physical assault on him by a gang of criminals who specialised in blackmailing people and stealing their money.

“Avoid being a victim of dating sites,” the police warning further said in the video.

The Dubai Police warning comes in light of recent scams that rocked some people using online dating apps.

Last month, Dubai Police arrested 47 members of 20 gangs from various African countries, who used similar criminal means to blackmail numerous victims through dating apps.


The gangs create accounts with pictures of women to lure the victim.

When the victim reaches the designated address where the woman is supposed to be staying, he is surprised to see that the woman on hand isn’t like the one in the photo on the dating app. Soon, the gang members arrive on the spot and steal the victim’s belongings such as mobile phone, money and credit cards. They also take indecent pictures of the victim and threaten him with dire consequences if the matter is reported to the police, Dubai Police said.

The gangs that have been caught used to rent apartments with fake documents. They used to withdraw money through the victim’s credit cards and then let him go, threatening to publish his photos on social media if he ever informed the police.

Last month, Major-General Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs, had sent out a stern warning about dating apps and fake advertisements on social media platforms and advised people to protect themselves from blackmail.

“Community members should be careful about chatting with unknown people on social media platforms or opening suspicious links, to protect their smart devices. Online scams are developing with the advancement of technology and fraudsters are using it to lure their victims,” Maj Gen Al Mansouri had said earlier.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
×