Mulund West Resident Duped of Rs 9.06 Lakh in Fake Dubai KYC Scam
A 31-year-old shipping manager residing in Mulund West was allegedly duped of AED 34,845.38 (approximately Rs 9.06 lakh) by cyber fraudsters posing as United Arab Emirates (UAE) federal authority officials under the pretext of a KYC update.
The complainant, identified in the First Information Report (FIR) as Nirav Mitesh Thakkar, works for a shipping company based in Dubai. According to the complaint registered with the Mulund police, Thakkar received an audio call on Google Meet on August 18 from an email address purportedly linked to a UAE federal authority.
During the call, a woman told Thakkar that regulatory rules in Dubai had changed and instructed him to update his Know Your Customer (KYC) details immediately. The caller warned him that failing to complete the verification process would prevent him from travelling to Dubai.
The caller then provided a Dubai-based telephone number and directed Thakkar to reach out over WhatsApp. Upon messaging the number, Thakkar received a link titled "Smart Services ICP online OTP verification". After opening the webpage, he submitted confidential personal and financial information, including his passport particulars, bank account details, debit and credit card data, phone number, and insurance records.
The accused subsequently informed Thakkar that a payment was required to complete the verification procedure. After obtaining his account balance and details of his Dubai-issued debit card, the fraudsters withdrew AED 34,845.38 from his bank account.
Thakkar realised he had been defrauded when the perpetrators demanded additional funds. He promptly contacted Emirates NBD Bank to report the fraudulent transactions and block his cards.
Before approaching the Mulund police station to lodge an official FIR, Thakkar also submitted a complaint through the Dubai police mobile application. The police have initiated an investigation into the cyber fraud.
