More than 2,920 fake social media accounts were shut down by the Dubai Police in 2018, as compared to 1,799 in 2017 and 1,899 in 2016.

Brigadier Jamal Salem Al Jallaf, director of the General Department of Criminal Investigation and Investigation, said that the police removed more than 500 accounts for impersonation last year.

In a press statement issued on Saturday, the police pointed out that the accounts of celebrities and famous people are more likely to face cybercrimes or hacking than the regular ones.

The police urged the public and users to secure their social media accounts, and report any violations or insults they might face online.

Al Jallaf said that the police are prepared to deal with all kinds of cybercrimes. He emphasised that the new technologies and smart programmes help the police to detect a number of cases and prevent several crimes.

Cybercrimes are mainly committed for financial exploitation or to cause harm to social media users, said Al Jallaf.He also said that some of the accounts are hacked just for defamation, especially targeting students and businessmen.

He added that sometimes the hackers use the pictures of the celebrity on the fake account, which makes it harder for common users to figure out the fraud.

Colonel Salim Obaid Salimin, deputy director of the Department of Cybercrime, said that the Dubai Police support crime prevention by raising public awareness through various initiatives.

He added that recently, the police launched an awareness campaign on social media 'Be Aware of Fake Accounts' aiming at encouraging the users to report to the cops any cases they face.

Salimin advised school students to avoid adding any persons they didn't know to their friends' lists, stressing that parents must monitorsuch accounts, and it should be linked to Email and mobile number. Parents should always keep a tab on the friends' list on the accounts of their children, he pointed out.

He said that celebrities should use their original names to ensure the account's authenticity.

One of the most common cases is WhatsApp hacking, and the police are working hard to find out new methods to combat such cybercrimes, he noted. Salimin emphasised that the police deal with cybercrimes in accordance with the legal process after getting nod from the public prosecution.

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