Rising online food delivery scams targeting Indian expatriates in UAE

ABU DHABI: The UAE, home to a large number of Indian expatriates, including many Malayalis, is seeing an alarming rise in online food delivery scams. Many expatriates, who have been living and working in the UAE for years—often alone in apartments or labor camps—frequently rely on online food delivery services. However, recent reports highlight a growing trend of fraud where expatriates ordering food online are losing significant amounts of money.

One such victim is Sarika Thadani, a Dubai resident for nearly 20 years. Sarika fell prey to a scam when she ordered food worth just 29 dirhams but ended up losing 9,872 dirhams (approximately INR 2 lakh). This incident is part of a wider trend of increasing fraud via food delivery platforms in the UAE.

Sarika placed her order with a well-known fried chicken outlet after seeing a Facebook ad offering a substantial discount. She ordered sandwich rolls and chicken nuggets for her staff and provided the OTP she received from her bank. To her shock, she later received a message that 2,020 dirhams had been withdrawn from her account. When she contacted her bank, she was informed that a total of 9,872.69 dirhams had been debited through multiple transactions.

Despite immediately alerting the bank, further withdrawals could not be prevented. The bank eventually froze her account and blocked her card. Following the bank's advice, Sarika lodged a complaint with the Dubai Police. However, she was informed the next day that the case was being closed because she had provided the OTP herself.

This isn't an isolated case. Last year, another Dubai-based expatriate, Rahul Killare, lost 14,000 dirhams after clicking on a link for a combo meal priced at just 14 dirhams and entering his credit card details. Similarly, another expatriate who ordered food worth 37 dirhams lost 4,848 dirhams to a similar scam.

Cybersecurity experts warn that fraudsters are increasingly creating fake websites masquerading as legitimate online food delivery platforms to steal credit card information. These scams often lure victims with advertisements offering massive discounts and deals.

In light of these scams, authorities, banks, and cybersecurity experts are advising residents—both expatriates and UAE nationals—to verify the authenticity of websites before making online transactions. They also urge caution when viewing advertisements on social media platforms.