The Dubai cyber fraud hotspots that target Indians

Indian authorities have repeatedly alerted Dubai officials about these hubs, but little action has been taken. Representation Pic/istock

The Cyber Cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch, investigating cyber fraud cases, has discovered that most scams - including investment fraud, part-time job scams (like-and-earn scams), and other digital frauds - are being run by Chinese entities from abroad. Officials have identified key locations, mainly in Dubai, where these scams are being operated.

mid-day has accessed details of these locations, including specific towers and floors used for fraud. Sources say Indian authorities have repeatedly alerted Dubai officials about these hubs, but little action has been taken, allowing scammers to continue duping Indians out of crores. One of the key locations identified by the Mumbai Cyber Cell is the Al Attar Business Center in Deira, Al Barsha, near Mushtaq Metro Station, Dubai. A call centre on the second floor is reportedly at the heart of cyber fraud activities. Al Barsha is a residential area known for its malls.

Besides Dubai, cyber crime officials have traced operations to Cambodia, Myanmar, China, and Hong Kong. Representation Pic/istock

Officials say multiple investigations have led them to this location. An accused arrested in a stock market fraud case confirmed that the call centre is run by Chinese nationals posing as financial institutions and is guarded by Nigerian bodyguards to prevent unauthorised entry. Only recruits from online job postings are allowed in.

"The accused said employees' passports are taken, trapping them until the project is over. They are monitored, forced to work for a year, and then the scammers relocate. The place was once raided by Dubai police but resurfaced in our mid-2024 investigation," an officer said. The second location accessed by mid-day is near Al Dewan Towers on Kareem Street in Ajman, UAE. According to sources, this call centre is also operated by Chinese nationals and runs under the name Karma Capital, with its office located in Room 1905.

Cyber crime officials have identified two individuals overseeing daily operations, one of whom goes by the alias Simran. Police have obtained their mobile numbers, confirming that the fraudulent activities are being conducted from this very location. "In some of our investigations, we have found that such scams are also being operated from hotels and residential buildings owned by Chinese nationals in Dubai. This particular area is known for its hotels, and we believe a large-scale scam operation is being run from within hotel rooms in this vicinity," an officer from the cyber cell said.

The third cyber fraud hotspot in Dubai is located in Port Saeed. Officials have revealed that in some cases, locations near Centurion Tower have surfaced as key locations. Although it is a residential area, authorities suspect that Chinese nationals are operating from within its premises to evade detection by Dubai authorities. "Time and again the counterparts are being informed about these locations from where cyber frauds are suspected to have been operated," an officer of the cyber cell said

Not just Dubai

The cyber cell has found that most cyber scams originate from Dubai, with additional operations traced to Cambodia, Myanmar, China, and Hong Kong. Scammers employ Indians working at these call centres and use Indian bank accounts provided by their counterparts in India. Many of these accounts belong to unsuspecting individuals who are lured in with promises of a 5 per cent to 10 per cent commission on the total amount credited to their accounts.

"Thousands of Indian bank accounts are opened using fraudulent documents and then shared with Dubai-based scammers. In many cases, genuine accounts from rural India are also used to transfer fraudulent funds," an officer said. "The money is then layered through multiple accounts, making it difficult for authorities to track. By the time the police trace one account, the funds have already been moved to another. This cycle continues until the money is eventually converted into cryptocurrency. Since these digital platforms do not share user information, Chinese operators maintain direct control over the funds," the officer added.

In November last year, mid-day reported that Mumbai alone lost over Rs 1,000 crore to cyber fraud between January and October. However, only R129 crore was recovered - primarily from cases reported within the golden hour (within two hours of the fraud) to the cybercrime helpline 1930.