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Criminal Defense
I Was Scammed on Instagram or TikTok: How Do I File a Report?
If you have been scammed on Instagram or TikTok, meaning you paid for goods or a service to an account on social media, nothing arrived and the account then blocked you, the direct answer is this: an online fraud report must be filed with the police in the UAE as quickly as possible, your bank must be told at the same moment, and reporting the account inside the app is not enough. The platform only closes the account. Pursuing the scammer and recovering your money begin only with an official police report.
The real danger in this kind of online scam is time. Every hour of delay gives the fraudster a chance to withdraw the money or move it to another account or out of the country, and every deleted chat weakens your evidence. A report written in a hurry, without ordered facts and supporting documents, may end up archived instead of leading to the arrest of the offender.
This article explains, step by step, what to do if you were scammed on Instagram, TikTok or any other social media platform: how a police report is opened in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the other emirates, what goes into it, when you get your money back, and what the firm handles for you at each stage, from drafting the report to recovering the amount. It is part of the firm’s articles on criminal cases.
What should I do right after being scammed on Instagram or TikTok?
Two steps can only be taken by you, and within the first hour: saving the evidence and alerting the bank. The report and its follow-up are what the lawyer takes on for you:
Evidence
Save the evidence before the scammer deletes it
Take screenshots of the account page and copy its link and username. Keep the full chat from its first message, the advert you bought from, the transfer receipt, the bank account number, IBAN or payment link, and any phone number used to contact you. Do not delete the chat or block the account before everything is saved.
Bank
Tell your bank that a fraud has taken place
Call your bank immediately and ask it to stop the transaction if it has not been completed, or to dispute it if you paid by card. A direct bank transfer is harder to reverse, but telling the bank early puts the incident on record and helps the authorities trace the money.
Report
An online fraud report that is legally drafted
The official report is what triggers the inquiry into the holder of the bank account and the person behind the social media account, and drafting it is the most critical step in the whole file. That is why the firm prepares the report with its facts and evidence and files it for you, instead of a rushed report that ends up archived.
Follow-up
Do not leave the report unattended
A report that nobody follows up is delayed or archived. The firm tracks the report with the police and the Public Prosecution and submits applications on time. And never pay anyone who calls claiming he will recover your money for a fee: that is a second scam on the victim of the first.
The firm’s role in opening and following up an online fraud report
The role of AWADH ALMHEIRI LAW FIRM AND LEGAL CONSULTATIONS does not stop at advice. The firm takes over the file for you from the first document to the recovery of the amount, and its role at each stage is as follows:
Assessment
Assessing and classifying the incident
We review the chats and receipts and determine whether the incident is online fraud, breach of trust or a civil dispute, and we tell you clearly which route fits best and what the chances of recovery are before any step is taken.
Report
Drafting the report and filing it for you
We draft the report so that the elements of fraud and the deceptive means are clear, attach the evidence in order, and file it with the competent authority under a power of attorney, so you attend only if your statement is requested.
Investigation
Follow-up before the police and prosecution
We follow the inquiry into the holder of the receiving account, request that the amount be secured, attend with you when your statement is taken, and file a grievance against an archiving decision within its time limit if one is issued.
Court
Joining the case as a civil claimant
We represent you before the criminal court and join the case as a civil claimant to demand return of the amount and compensation, so the judgment does not stop at punishing the offender.
Recovery
Enforcing the judgment against the convicted person’s assets
We open the execution file and pursue attachment of the convicted person’s accounts and assets until your right is returned to you.
The difference between a report you write yourself and a report prepared by a lawyer shows in the result: the first may be archived for missing facts, miss the grievance deadline, or end in a judgment that punishes the offender without returning a single dirham to you because nobody claimed the amount.
How do I file an online fraud report in the UAE?
An online fraud report in the UAE can be filed remotely in most cases and does not require knowing the scammer’s real name. The firm files the report for you through the competent channel in your emirate:
Filing a report in Dubai
Through Dubai Police’s eCrime platform or the Dubai Police smart app, with enquiries through the 901 call centre, or at the nearest police station.
Filing a report in Abu Dhabi
Through Abu Dhabi Police’s “Aman” service on 8002626 or by text message to 2828, through the Abu Dhabi Police smart app, or at the nearest police station.
Filing a report in the other emirates
Through the electronic channels of the police and the Ministry of Interior, or in person at the police station in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah.
Once the report is registered the police carry out the inquiry, and the file then goes to the Public Prosecution, which decides whether to refer it to court or archive it. For the full stages see Criminal Cases in the UAE.
Filing a fraud report in Dubai: what goes into the report?
The strength of a report lies in its facts, not its length. It sets out what happened in chronological order: how you came across the account, what it offered, what made you believe it, when you transferred the money, how much and to which account, and when contact stopped. Each fact is then backed by its evidence.
What the investigator looks for most is the deceptive means: an account in the name of a fake shop, product photos copied from another store, a forged trade licence, or impersonation of a well-known company. If the report lacks this element, the prosecution may treat it as a sale dispute and archive it, as explained in Converting a Criminal Report to a Civil Dispute: When Does the Prosecution Archive the Report? That is why the report is prepared and reviewed at the firm before it is filed, not after it has been archived.
Is reporting the account inside Instagram or TikTok enough?
It is not. Reporting an Instagram or TikTok account inside the app leads at best to the account being closed. It does not return a single dirham and does not reveal who is behind it. The scammer opens a new account under another name the same day.
Report the account on the platform to protect others, but only after the evidence has been saved and the official report opened, because closing the account before documenting it deprives you of your first piece of evidence.
Will I get my money back after an online scam?
Recovery is possible but not guaranteed, and it depends on three things: how fast the report is filed, whether the receiving account is inside the country, and whether the money is still in it. The earlier you move, the better the chance of freezing the amount before it is withdrawn.
The legal route to recovering your money has more than one door: securing the amount during the investigation, then joining the criminal case as a civil claimant, or filing a civil claim for restitution and compensation after the judgment. If you fear the defendant will move his assets, there is also an application for preventive attachment in the UAE, subject to its conditions.
When is it a scam and when is it a dispute with a seller?
Not every order that fails to arrive is a crime. If the seller is a real, licensed shop that delivered late or delivered defective goods, it is more likely a consumer or civil dispute, pursued through a consumer protection complaint or a claim for the price. If the account was fake from the start, took the money and vanished, that is fraud.
There is a third situation people confuse with fraud: handing your money to someone in trust or as an agent, who then keeps it. We covered this in Breach of Trust in Dubai: When is it a Crime and What is the Penalty? Classifying the incident correctly from the start decides which door you knock on, and it is the first thing the firm does when it studies your file.
What is the penalty for online fraud in the UAE?
Under the Law on Combating Rumours and Cybercrimes, online fraud committed by using a false name or impersonating a false capacity is punishable by imprisonment for not less than one year and a fine of AED 250,000 to AED 1,000,000. Creating a fake account or website and falsely attributing it to a person or entity is a separate offence, punishable by imprisonment and a fine of AED 50,000 to AED 200,000.
1 year
Minimum term of imprisonment for online fraud
AED 250,000
Minimum fine
AED 1,000,000
Maximum fine
If an AI-generated voice or clip was used to convince you, the detail is in Deepfakes and AI Fraud: How UAE Law Protects You.
Scams on TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp and Snapchat: is the procedure different?
It is not. A scam on TikTok through a live stream, on Facebook through sponsored adverts, or on WhatsApp and Snapchat through a message from an unknown number is all online fraud, and the same report is opened for it. The platform only changes the form of the evidence: the stream link, the screenshot of the advert, or the phone number.
The most common patterns on social media are a fake shop with tempting prices, impersonation of a well-known brand, competitions and prizes that ask for a “shipping fee”, and a friend’s hacked account asking for an urgent transfer.
Mistakes that cost you your right or put you in the position of the accused
Naming and shaming the scammer on social media
Publishing his name, photo or account number with insults may expose you to liability. The place for an accusation is the report, not a post.
A report with untrue facts
Inflating the amount or accusing a person without evidence turns against you. See Malicious Reporting in the UAE for the consequences.
Letting your bank account be used
Anyone who receives transfers of unknown origin in his account as a “favour” to someone may find his account frozen and himself a party to a fraud case.
Delaying and negotiating with the scammer
Waiting for days on his promises to return the money gives him the time he needs to hide it.
Practical tips before buying from social media accounts
Check the trade licence
Ask for the name of the business and its licence number and verify them with the licensing authority. Do not rely on the number of followers.
Do not transfer to a personal account
Pay by card through a known payment gateway or on delivery. A transfer to an individual’s account is the hardest to recover.
Beware of tempting prices and pressure
“Last piece” and “offer ends today”, with a price far below the market, are warning signs.
Legal references
1. Federal Decree-Law No. (34) of 2021 on Combating Rumours and Cybercrimes.
2. Federal Decree-Law No. (31) of 2021 Issuing the Crimes and Penalties Law.
3. Federal Decree-Law No. (38) of 2022 Issuing the Criminal Procedures Law.
4. Federal Law No. (15) of 2020 on Consumer Protection.
5. Federal Decree-Law No. (14) of 2023 on Trading by Modern Technological Means.
Frequently asked questions about Instagram and TikTok scams and filing a report
Dubai
AWADH ALMHEIRI LAW FIRM AND LEGAL CONSULTATIONS in Dubai handles online fraud and scam cases on Instagram, TikTok and social media: drafting the fraud report and filing it with Dubai Police, following it up before the Dubai prosecution and courts, filing grievances against archiving decisions, and claiming recovery of the money and compensation.
Other emirates
The firm’s services extend to Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, for anyone who was scammed on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or WhatsApp and wants an online fraud report opened and followed up until the right is recovered.
