Dubai · Abu Dhabi · Sharjah · All 7 Emirates · Online Cases
Charged with online fraud, social media defamation, spreading fake news, or sharing a message? Do not speak to police without a lawyer. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021, UAE cybercrime penalties include imprisonment, fines up to AED 4 million, and deportation for expats — even for forwarding a message you didn't write.
The first 24 hours are critical. We attend police stations, challenge charges, and build your defense immediately. Arabic, English, Urdu, and Hindi.
Hacked, defrauded online, blackmailed with private content, or defamed on social media? UAE cybercrime law is among the strictest in the world — perpetrators face serious criminal consequences. We file complaints with Dubai Police eCrime, Abu Dhabi Police digital units, and the Public Prosecution.
We pursue criminal prosecution and civil compensation simultaneously — recovering financial losses alongside the criminal case. Arabic, English, Urdu, and Hindi.
Fines up to AED 4 million + imprisonment + deportation. First statement to police can make or break your case.
Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 covers a wide range of digital offenses — with penalties that surprise most people in their severity. Many charges arise from actions people didn't consider criminal.
Using false name or identity, phishing, fake investment schemes, Business Email Compromise (BEC), digital theft. Impersonating a bank, government entity, or business to steal money or data. This is the fastest-growing cybercrime in UAE.
Social media posts, WhatsApp messages, Instagram stories, DMs — online defamation is a criminal offense in UAE, not just civil. Article 43: even posts on personal accounts are considered public dissemination. Insult or mockery of any person online carries minimum AED 250,000 fine.
Publishing, circulating, or forwarding false/misleading information online — Article 52. Liability is NOT limited to the original author. Anyone who forwards, reposts, or shares such content faces the same criminal consequences. Penalty increases significantly during emergencies or crises.
Unauthorized access to any electronic system, website, account, or device. With data breach/damage: AED 100,000–500,000 + up to 5 years. Government/national security systems: up to AED 1,000,000 + up to 15 years. Intercepting communications: imprisonment + AED 150,000–500,000.
Creating, possessing, publishing, or redistributing manipulated/deepfake images = criminal offense. Resharing someone else's deepfake image is also a crime — even if you didn't create it. Sharing private images/recordings without consent. Wadeema's Law provides enhanced protection for minors. 2026 enforcement actively increasing.
Threatening to share private content (images, videos, messages) unless demands are met. One of the most common cybercrime cases in UAE — often involving ex-partners or business disputes. Perpetrators face severe imprisonment. Victims can file with Dubai Police eCrime immediately.
Article 58: If a company commits a cybercrime, both the company AND the responsible director/owner face equal penalties. Attempted cybercrime = up to half the penalty even if unsuccessful. Extraterritorial: committed abroad but affecting UAE residents = UAE jurisdiction applies.
Most cybercrime cases in UAE involve people who genuinely didn't think they were breaking the law. These facts change everything — know them before you post, share, or forward anything.
Under Article 52 of FL 34/2021, anyone who forwards, reposts, shares, or promotes content containing false news, defamatory material, or harmful information faces the same criminal penalties as the original author. "I just forwarded it from a group" is not a legal defense.
WhatsApp group messages, individual messages, voice notes, and Instagram DMs all fall under the UAE Cybercrime Law. "It was a private message" provides no legal protection. If the content is defamatory, threatening, or constitutes fake news — it is a criminal offense regardless of how few people received it.
UAE law criminalises the creation, possession, publishing, AND redistribution of manipulated or AI-generated images without consent. The UAE Cyber Security Council is actively enforcing deepfake laws in 2026. Resharing a deepfake image created by someone else is also a criminal offense — regardless of intent. Penalties: up to 3 years imprisonment + up to AED 500,000.
If content is created or posted outside the UAE but targets or affects a UAE resident, UAE cybercrime law has jurisdiction. Expats who have left the UAE and posted about former employers, ex-partners, or business associates based in UAE can still face criminal charges and — if they return to UAE — arrest.
Under Article 58 of FL 34/2021, when a company commits a cybercrime, both the legal entity AND the responsible director, owner, or partner face the same penalties simultaneously. A business that sends a fraudulent marketing email, misleading social media post, or data-breaching communication makes its leadership personally criminally liable.
You do not need to succeed in committing a cybercrime to face punishment. Attempted hacking, attempted fraud, or attempted data theft — even if the attempt failed or was stopped — carries a penalty of up to half of the full offense. The attempt itself is the crime.
Cybercrime cases in UAE move fast. The right approach on day one — whether you are the accused or the victim — determines the outcome.
Do NOT give any statement to police without a lawyer present. Your first statement sets the narrative — a poor one cannot be easily reversed.
We attend the police station immediately — within hours of your call. We represent you during questioning, ensure your rights are protected, and prevent you from inadvertently incriminating yourself.
We review all digital evidence — screenshots, messages, metadata, timestamps. We challenge the chain of custody, whether evidence was lawfully obtained, and whether the content actually meets the legal threshold for the charge.
For charges like fake news or defamation, we establish that content was believed to be true, lacked criminal intent (mens rea), or was clearly satire/opinion rather than factual assertion. Context and intent are legally significant.
For first-time offenders, we pursue penalty mitigation — fine-only outcome instead of imprisonment, suspended sentence, or charge reduction. Deportation risk for expats is addressed specifically in sentencing submissions.
Screenshot all evidence with timestamps before anything is deleted. Save URLs, usernames, profile information, transaction records, and all correspondence. Digital evidence disappears quickly — preserving it on day one is critical.
File your complaint at ecrime.ae — Dubai Police's dedicated cybercrime platform. For Abu Dhabi, file through Abu Dhabi Police digital channels. We prepare the complaint with all necessary evidence attachments and legal framing to ensure it is taken seriously and escalated.
We file the criminal complaint and a parallel civil compensation claim simultaneously. Criminal conviction of the perpetrator strengthens the civil claim significantly. For online fraud, financial recovery via the civil route runs alongside criminal proceedings.
We apply for urgent court orders to remove defamatory content, block accounts, and prevent further publication. For blackmail / extortion, we secure injunctions preventing distribution of private content while the criminal case proceeds.
UAE cybercrime cases move quickly from police complaint to prosecution. Understanding the sequence — and where a lawyer makes the most difference — is critical.
Cybercrime units are specialised — they recover deleted messages, trace IP addresses, and extract digital evidence. Your first statement to police is the most important moment in your case. We attend the police station immediately, advise you on what to say and what not to say, and ensure no evidence is improperly handled. Confessions made without legal advice are very difficult to retract later.
Police refer the case to the Public Prosecution. The prosecutor reviews the investigation file, hears from the accused, and decides whether to proceed to trial or dismiss. This is a key intervention point — we present mitigation, challenge evidence gaps, and argue for dismissal or charge reduction before the case reaches court.
We challenge digital evidence — chain of custody, how it was obtained, metadata authenticity, whether screenshots are unaltered. We present intent defense, context evidence, and character witnesses. For minor first offenses, we argue for fine-only outcome. For expats, we specifically argue against deportation as part of sentencing submissions.
If convicted, we immediately assess appeal prospects. UAE courts have three levels — First Instance, Appeal, and Cassation. Sentences can be reduced or overturned on appeal. We file appeals within the required timeframe and pursue every available avenue for sentence reduction or acquittal.
Cybercrime cases are unique — the offense can happen anywhere, but the jurisdiction is where the victim or accused is based. We handle cases in all UAE emirates and international cases affecting UAE residents.
Dubai has the most active cybercrime enforcement in UAE — the Dubai Police Cyber Crime Unit and the eCrime platform handle thousands of cases annually. We attend Dubai Police stations 24/7, file complaints at eCrime, and appear before Dubai's specialist cybercrime courts. Most social media defamation, online fraud, and WhatsApp cases originating in Dubai are prosecuted here.
Abu Dhabi has its own cybercrime unit and digital reporting channels. Government sector employees and ADGM businesses face particular scrutiny on data privacy and cybersecurity compliance. We handle all Abu Dhabi cybercrime cases — accused and victim.
Large Pakistani and Indian community in Sharjah — social media defamation and WhatsApp group cases are particularly common. Many cybercrime cases originate in community and business WhatsApp groups where inflammatory content is forwarded repeatedly. We handle cases across all Northern Emirates.
Content posted from outside UAE targeting UAE residents = UAE jurisdiction. We represent expats who have been charged for content posted abroad, and UAE victims whose perpetrators are based outside UAE. UAE can issue arrest warrants and Interpol notices for serious cybercrime offenders outside its borders.
Cases involving social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Facebook), messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram), and online marketplaces. We work with authorities on platform evidence requests and understand how digital evidence is preserved and presented in UAE courts.
Companies facing cybercrime investigations — data breaches, BEC fraud, malicious employee content. Article 58 makes directors personally liable alongside the company. We provide immediate crisis response, compliance advice, and criminal defense for corporate cybercrime matters.
Dubai Police eCrime Platform — file online fraud, hacking, defamation, and blackmail complaints
We prepare and file your eCrime complaint with all necessary evidence attachments and legal framing — ensuring it is taken seriously and escalated.
Cybercrime cases are not limited by physical location — UAE courts can have jurisdiction over cases where either the accused or victim is based in UAE, regardless of where the offense occurred.
