A screenshot of the social media post accusing J.T. of being a scammer. EXPAT MEDIA
A Filipina resident has filed a Dubai Police report after she became a victim of a money exchange scam, then found herself accused of being the scammer when her Emirates ID and passport were posted online by another victim.
J.T. (full name withheld) told Expat Media that she sent P6,700 to a person she found through a Facebook group after the woman offered to exchange Philippine pesos for UAE dirhams at what appeared to be a favourable rate.
The money was never exchanged. Instead, J.T. said the person behind the transaction appears to have used her personal documents to pose as her and allegedly scam another person.
The situation took another turn when the latest victim posted J.T.’s Emirates ID and passport on social media and called her a scammer.
J.T. said she is now trying to clear her name while pursuing police reports against the alleged scammer and separately against the social media post. “I am also a victim,” J.T. told Expat Media. “But they posted my passport and Emirates ID and called me a scammer. I have been getting calls and messages from people who know me, concerned about what they read about me.”
She said she contacted the woman who posted the documents and asked her to remove the post, saying she understands that the woman was also deceived by the same scammer. “I feel bad that the person posted my details on social media without verifying my identity. I just want to clear my name and make her aware that I was not the one who scammed her,” she said.
J.T. said she has nevertheless filed a separate Dubai Police report concerning the social media post, which she considers an online defamation and privacy matter. Expat Media has seen screenshots of J.T.’s police complaint against the social media post, and her conversation with the person she says offered to exchange her Philippine pesos for UAE dirhams. The screenshots show the exchange-related conversation and the details of the transaction as described by J.T.
How the money exchange scam happened
J.T. said she came across the person offering the currency exchange through a Facebook group. The person, she said, appeared to be a member of the group but used an anonymous name.
“I sent P6,700 that she said she will exchange with dirhams and deposit to my UAE bank account. I found her through a Facebook group where she appeared to be a member. She hid under an anonymous name. She promised a good exchange rate,” she said.
After she sent the money, the person allegedly blocked her on WhatsApp where they exchanged conversations as well as passports and Emirates IDs.
J.T., who has lived in Dubai since 2018 and works as a sales coordinator, said the money came from her personal savings in her GCash account.
She needed dirhams to pay for an important expense and decided to arrange the exchange through the social media contact rather than through a licensed exchange provider. The decision left her out of pocket and, she said, also exposed her identity documents to further misuse.
“I have reported the incident to Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas, GCash and the National Bureau of Investigation and Philippine National Police and gave them the scammer’s GCash account so it can be blocked and they will not scam more people,” she said.
She said she also filed a Dubai Police report over the social media post. J.T. said she has asked the other victim to delete the post because she understands that the woman was also trying to warn others after apparently being scammed. “I want to give the person a chance to just delete the post because I know she is also a victim like me.”
J.T. said the ordeal has taught her valuable lessons. She lost money because she trusted a stranger offering a currency exchange through social media. She then found herself having to defend her own identity after discovering that her personal documents had been used to make another victim believe she was the scammer.
Her advice to other residents is straightforward. “Never trust anyone with money and only send money through trusted money exchange centers,” she said.
Why you should not exchange money with strangers on social media
UAE authorities have repeatedly warned against informal money deals on social media, saying that aside from potentially losing money, victims risk exposing personal information to someone whose identity and intentions have not been verified.
In the UAE, currency exchange is a regulated financial activity. The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) says exchange business is subject to licensing and supervision, and no person may carry out exchange business in the UAE unless licensed by the CBUAE or otherwise permitted under the applicable regulatory framework.
The CBUAE’s current Exchange Business Regulation includes currency exchange and remittance services among activities requiring licensing. That means a person advertising currency exchange through a Facebook group, WhatsApp chat or another social media platform should not automatically be treated as a legitimate money exchange provider simply because they have references, group membership or apparently attractive exchange rates.
For residents, the safer option is to use a licensed exchange house, bank or other properly regulated financial service provider rather than sending money to an unknown individual through a social media arrangement.
The CBUAE also warns about the risks associated with money and value transfer services, including the potential misuse of exchange channels for criminal activity.
Never send your Emirates ID or passport to a stranger
J.T.’s experience also highlights another major risk after she sent her Emirates ID and passport to the person behind the transaction.
Those documents contain highly sensitive identifying information. Once a copy has been sent to an unknown person, the sender has limited control over where it is stored, who sees it or how it may subsequently be used.
In J.T.’s case, she believes the scammer subsequently used her identity documents to make another person believe that she was the person behind the scam.
Residents should therefore be extremely cautious about sending copies of passports, Emirates IDs, bank information, payment details, account credentials or other identifying documents to strangers. UAE authorities have repeatedly reminded residents against sharing personal documents and details to anyone whose identity and authority have not been independently verified.
Where identification is genuinely required for a legitimate financial transaction, residents should first establish who is requesting it, why it is required, whether the organisation is licensed or authorised, and how the information will be protected.
The UAE’s Personal Data Protection Law sets principles around the lawful processing and protection of personal data, including requirements relating to consent and data security.
The UAE’s cybercrime legislation also contains specific provisions concerning the unauthorised acquisition, disclosure, copying or dissemination of personal electronic data. The Federal Decree-Law on Countering Rumours and Cybercrimes provides for imprisonment and/or fines of between Dh20,000 and Dh100,000 for specified unauthorised acts involving personal electronic data, with aggravating circumstances for certain financial and other sensitive information.
Why posting someone’s Emirates ID and calling them a scammer can create another legal problem
The other victim may have believed she was warning people about a scam. However, publicly identifying the wrong person can create a separate legal issue.
J.T. says the woman posted her Emirates ID and passport and described her as a scammer without first establishing that she was the person who took the money.
UAE law does not provide a blanket exemption simply because someone publishes potentially damaging information online with the intention of raising awareness. The UAE’s Federal Decree-Law on Countering Rumours and Cybercrimes provides that using an information network or information technology to insult another person or attribute to them a quality that could expose them to punishment or contempt by others may be punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine of between Dh250,000 and Dh500,000.
The law also addresses invasion of privacy. The law provides for imprisonment of at least six months and/or a fine ranging from Dh150,000 to Dh500,000 in specified cases involving the use of information technology to invade another person’s privacy, including publishing certain images, comments, data or information with the intention of causing harm.
This is why residents should avoid taking matters into their own hands by publicly naming, shaming or identifying an alleged scammer unless they have appropriate legal grounds and advice.
Being a victim of a scam does not automatically make it legally safe to publish another person’s identity documents or accuse them of a crime online. The better approach is to preserve the evidence and report the suspected scam to the authorities.
What if you have genuinely been scammed?
Residents who believe they have been defrauded should document the transaction rather than immediately posting accusations online.
Keep copies of:
• Payment receipts and transaction references
• Bank or e-wallet records
• Screenshots of conversations
• Social media profiles and usernames
• Phone numbers and account details used by the suspected scammer
• Advertisements or posts offering the service
• Any identification documents or information sent during the transaction
• Dates, times and details of conversations
Do not edit screenshots in a way that could remove relevant context. The evidence can then be provided to the appropriate authorities and financial service providers. Dubai Police provides an online cybercrime reporting service for members of the public to submit complaints concerning cybercrimes.
What if someone falsely calls you a scammer online?
If you become the target of an online accusation, the first step should be to preserve the evidence.
Take screenshots showing the full post, account name, date, comments, URL where available and any messages connected to the allegation. If the post is later deleted, the evidence may still be relevant to an investigation.
Do not respond by publishing the other person’s photo, Emirates ID, passport, telephone number or other private information.
Instead, preserve the evidence. Take screenshots and save the material before it disappears. Then ask for a correction or removal. If appropriate, calmly contact the person who published the allegation and explain that you are not the person involved.
Report the content to the social media platform. Use the platform’s reporting mechanisms for harassment, privacy violations or false claims where applicable. Also, report the matter to the authorities. Dubai Police provides a cybercrime reporting channel for online offences via the Dubai Police app or website.
Consider legal advice. If the allegation is serious, widely circulated or has affected your reputation, employment or other interests, consult a UAE lawyer about the appropriate legal remedy.
There is an important distinction between reporting suspected criminal conduct to the authorities in good faith and publicly accusing someone on social media. UAE criminal law expressly provides that there is no crime where a person informs judicial or administrative authorities in good faith about an act that could make its perpetrator legally liable.
The UAE Media Regulation Law sets media content standards that include respecting privacy and the private lives of individuals, as well as prohibiting the publication or circulation of false news or information incorrectly attributed to people or entities.
Although the law specifically regulates media activities, its principles reinforce a wider UAE legal framework requiring responsible online behaviour. For ordinary social media users, the key point is simple: A Facebook group is not a courtroom. A WhatsApp group is not a police station.
A scam warning can still be responsible
Residents understandably want to warn others after being scammed. Sharing information can help prevent additional victims, but the safest approach is to stick to verifiable facts and avoid publishing another person’s sensitive information.
Instead of writing: “This person is a scammer. Here is her Emirates ID.”
A safer approach is to report the transaction to the authorities and, if speaking publicly, describe the incident without identifying a person as a criminal unless that allegation has been legally established.
For example, residents can say that they believe they were defrauded in a particular transaction, explain how the transaction occurred and advise others to exercise caution, while avoiding the publication of passports, Emirates IDs, phone numbers and other sensitive information.
Even when the intention is to protect others, a public accusation can reach thousands of people before the facts have been established. If a scam does happen, the safest response is not a social media trial. Save the evidence. Report it and let UAE authorities investigate. PIA/CAM/Expat Media
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