How to File a Cybercrime Complaint in the UAE: Reporting Online Fraud, Defamation and Blackmail

Someone has hacked your account, drained money from a fake "investment" app, threatened to leak your photos, or smeared your name in a WhatsApp group. It feels overwhelming, and the first question is always the same: where do you actually report it, and what happens after you do?

Direct answer. In the UAE, cybercrime is governed by [Federal Decree-Law](/dictionary/federal-decree-law) No. 34 of 2021 on Combating Rumours and Cybercrimes. You file a cybercrime complaint through official government channels — most commonly Dubai Police's eCrime platform, the Ministry of Interior's Aman service, the 901 police line, or by going in person to a police station and, ultimately, the Public Prosecution. You do not pay a private platform to report; reporting to the authorities is the formal route. Move quickly, preserve every piece of digital evidence (screenshots, links, numbers, transaction records), and let the police and prosecution investigate. Below is a plain-English walkthrough of what counts as cybercrime, exactly where to report, what to keep, and what happens next.

What counts as cybercrime in the UAE?

Cybercrime is any offence committed using the internet, a network, an electronic device, or an information system. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021, the categories that affect ordinary residents most often include:

• Online fraud and financial scams — fake online stores, bogus investment or crypto "platforms", phishing links, job-offer scams, and unauthorised access to your bank or wallet.
• Hacking and unauthorised access — someone breaking into your email, social media, cloud storage, or company systems.
• Online blackmail and extortion (including sextortion) — threats to publish private images, chats, or information unless you pay or comply.
• Defamation, insult and slander online — posting content that damages your reputation, including in private chats and groups.
• Identity theft and impersonation — fake profiles using your name or photos, or someone pretending to be you.
• Spreading rumours and false information — publishing content that the law treats as harmful or unlawful.
• Privacy violations — sharing someone's private photos, recordings, or data without consent.

If what happened to you fits any of these, it is reportable. You do not need to be certain of the legal label — describe what happened, and the authorities will classify it.

Where and how to report a cybercrime in the UAE

There is more than one official channel, and the right one depends on your emirate and how urgent the situation is. Here is how they compare.

Dubai Police eCrime (e-Crime platform). If you are in Dubai, the eCrime platform lets you file a cybercrime report online without visiting a station. You describe the incident, upload your evidence, and receive a reference number to track the case. It is built specifically for online offences — fraud, hacking, blackmail, and defamation.

Aman (Ministry of Interior). Aman is a confidential service for reporting security concerns and crimes, including cyber and blackmail cases, across the UAE. It is designed for situations where you want to report discreetly. You can reach it by phone and through MOI channels.

901 — the non-emergency police line. For non-urgent police assistance and to be guided to the correct reporting route, you can call 901. For an emergency or immediate danger, call 999.

Public Prosecution and police stations. You can also report in person at your local police station. Serious cybercrime cases are referred to the Public Prosecution, which decides whether to investigate further and bring charges. Several emirates also offer their own prosecution and police e-services.

A practical comparison: choose eCrime if you are in Dubai and want a fast, fully online filing with a tracking number; choose Aman when discretion matters, such as blackmail or sextortion; call 901 if you are unsure where to start; and go in person or to the Public Prosecution for serious cases or when you are asked to give a statement.

For the official, always-current list of services and contact points, start at the UAE Government portal: u.ae. Confirm the exact channel for your emirate there before relying on any specific number or link.

Reporting online fraud and financial scams

If you have lost money — to a fake store, a cloned bank message, a romance scam, or a "guaranteed return" investment app — act fast, because speed can sometimes help stop or trace a transfer.

1. Contact your bank immediately. Report the unauthorised transaction, ask them to freeze the card or account, and request a record of the transfers. Banks have their own fraud-dispute processes separate from the police.
2. File a cybercrime report through eCrime (Dubai) or the channel for your emirate, attaching everything: the website or app, the seller's contacts, payment confirmations, and chat logs.
3. Keep the case reference number the system gives you so you can follow up.

Do not delete the scammer's messages or your transaction history — that is your evidence. If you are unsure whether the loss is "big enough" to report, report it anyway; patterns of small scams help investigators catch larger operations.

Reporting online defamation, insults and slander

UAE law treats defamation seriously, and that protection extends to what is posted online — including in WhatsApp groups, on social media, and in comments. If someone has published content that harms your reputation, accuses you falsely, or insults you, that can be a reportable offence.

Before you report, capture the content exactly as it appears: full screenshots showing the username, the date and time, and the surrounding conversation, plus the link or group name. Then file through the eCrime platform or your emirate's channel.

For a deeper look at how these cases work in practice, see our guides on a WhatsApp defamation case in Dubai and the broader criminal defence and arrest-rights guide.

Reporting online blackmail and sextortion

Blackmail — being told to pay money or do something under threat of having private images, chats, or information leaked — is one of the most distressing cybercrimes, and the UAE treats it as a serious offence. The single most important rule: do not pay, and do not keep complying. Paying rarely stops the threats and often invites more.

What to do instead:

• Stop responding to the blackmailer, but do not delete the chats — they are evidence.
• Screenshot everything: the threats, the account, any payment demands, and any links.
• Report immediately through Aman (which is built for discreet reporting), eCrime, or by calling 901. You will not be blamed for being targeted; the law is there to protect you.

If the threat is active and you feel in danger, call 999. For a focused walkthrough, read our dedicated guide on WhatsApp blackmail and sextortion in the UAE.

What evidence to keep before you report

A cybercrime complaint is only as strong as the evidence behind it. Before and during reporting, preserve:

• Full screenshots showing usernames, phone numbers, dates, times, and the full conversation thread — not just the offending line.
• Links and URLs to the website, app, profile, or post.
• Phone numbers, email addresses, and account handles used by the offender.
• Transaction records — bank statements, transfer confirmations, receipts, wallet IDs.
• The original files and messages, kept undeleted on your device. Exporting a WhatsApp chat or saving emails in full preserves the metadata investigators may need.

Do not edit or crop evidence in a way that removes context, and avoid confronting the offender in a way that could let them delete their accounts before the police act.

What happens after you file a cybercrime complaint

Once your report is submitted, you generally receive a reference or case number. Investigators review the evidence and may contact you for a formal statement or additional material. Serious matters are referred to the Public Prosecution, which decides whether to pursue the case and, where appropriate, bring it before the courts.

Timelines vary widely depending on the complexity of the case, the emirate, and whether the offender is inside or outside the UAE — so be wary of anyone who promises a fixed outcome or a guaranteed recovery. Stay reachable, respond promptly to requests for information, and keep your reference number handy. If you need to understand court stages, our guides on release on bail in the UAE and judgment in absentia explain what the later steps can look like.

It also helps to know roughly what you can and cannot expect. A report does not guarantee that the money will be recovered, that the offender will be found, or that a case will go to trial — those depend on the evidence, the jurisdiction, and the facts. What reporting does is put the matter on record, trigger an official investigation, and protect your legal position, which is especially important if the other side later makes a complaint of their own. Treat the process as a marathon rather than a sprint: cooperate, keep your records organised, and ask the authorities — or a lawyer — whenever a step is unclear rather than guessing.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Deleting the evidence in anger or panic — once it is gone, the case is much harder.
• Paying a blackmailer to make it stop. It usually does the opposite.
• Delaying the report, which gives scammers time to disappear and money time to move.
• Posting about it publicly before reporting, which can tip off the offender or even create new legal exposure for you depending on what you write.
• Assuming "it's too small." Report it; small reports build big cases.

When to talk to a lawyer

You can report many cybercrimes yourself through the official channels above. But you should consider speaking to a lawyer when the matter is serious or contested — for example, large financial losses, an active blackmail threat, a defamation dispute where the other side has also complained against you, or any situation where you are asked to give statements to the prosecution and want to understand your position first.

A lawyer can help you organise your evidence, communicate with investigators, and protect your rights at each stage. You can browse UAE lawyers on LEXAI to find someone who handles cybercrime and criminal matters, and you can use our free legal AI assistant to get oriented on your situation before you reach out. For broader context on how criminal cases proceed, our UAE criminal defence lawyer guide and traffic law and imprisonment guide are good next reads.

Acting calmly and quickly — preserve the evidence, report through the right channel, and get advice when the stakes are high — gives you the best chance of a good outcome.