‘Online beggar’ arrested in UAE for swindling online users into paying her $50,000

A UAE woman was taken into custody on Sunday after she swindled people online into believing that she was a victim of a failed marriage and was in dire need of money to support her children.

As per reports citing Dubai police officials, the woman had tricked several social media users on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and had racked $50,000 in merely 17 days.

Director of Criminal Investigation Department of the Dubai Police, Brigadier Jamal Al Salem Al Jallaf revealed that the woman had posted picture of her children, ‘begging’ people for money to feed them and had also established online accounts to accumulate the amount.

"She was telling people that she was divorced and supporting her children on her own. But her former husband reported her through (the) e-Crime platform and proved the children were living with him," he stated.

"The husband realized his children's photos were being used for begging after several relatives and friends called to check with him. By defaming her children and harming their reputation, the woman managed to earn $50,000 in 17 days of begging on social media," he added.

Urging people to not show sympathy to beggars online or on the streets, Brigadier Al Jallaf stated: "Begging via online channels is a crime that is being dealt with by the Dubai Police through the eCrime platform. People seek help by pretending to have a disease or disability, or by showcasing apparent poverty to exploit people's generosity."