How to compare prices online safely in the UAE

Why this matters before you buy

Comparing prices online in the UAE usually means jumping between several sites, social media ads, and marketplace listings in a short space of time. That speed is exactly what a fake store or a cloned website relies on.

Dubai's Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection Sector told consumers, in comments reported in 2018, not to shop with an online seller before checking its company profile first; this guide has not found a more recent official restatement of that specific advice, though the underlying logic still holds. Dubai Police's Anti-Fraud Center has separately warned, in more recent reporting, that cloned websites, often copying a genuine site with only a slight difference in the address, are one of the scam patterns they see most.

None of this means online shopping in the UAE is unsafe. It means a short check before you pay is worth the few minutes it takes.

Check who you're actually buying from

Before comparing prices, take a moment to check who is selling the item.

• Look for a registered business name, a UAE trade licence reference, and contact details you can actually check (a phone number, a physical address) if the seller claims to be UAE-based. Dubai's DED said, in 2018, that a Dubai-registered online seller doing business online should have either a physical headquarters or a confirmed website registered under the .ae domain. That's a compliance requirement DED applied to registered businesses at the time, not a check you can run yourself, and this guide has not found a more recent official source confirming the rule is unchanged: a .ae address is not proof a seller is genuine, since nothing stops a fraudulent site from registering one, and genuinely licensed sellers can trade online without one. Treat the domain ending, at most, as one weak signal alongside the others, never as a stand-alone check.
• Be cautious of listings that give no way to confirm the seller beyond a social media page or a chat link. Dubai Police has said fake ads often mimic the look of a genuine business closely enough to pass a quick glance.
• If a deal is being pushed hard through a link in a message or an unsolicited ad, slow down. Treat the link the same way you would treat an unexpected request for money: confirm the sender's identity before you click.

Spot a cloned or copycat website

A cloned site is built to look identical, or nearly identical, to a real one.

• Check the web address carefully, not just the page design. Dubai Police has described cloned sites as using "only a slight difference" from the genuine address, something that's easy to miss when you're comparing prices quickly across tabs.
• Don't assume a professional-looking page means a legitimate one. Dubai Police has explicitly warned that people "should not trust a link simply because it looks professional."
• If you reached a site by searching for a consumer protection service or a complaints form, be aware that Dubai Police have also warned of fake versions of these pages built specifically to harvest personal and banking details, followed by a phone call from someone posing as an official.

Treat an unusually large discount as a signal to check, not a reason to rush

A price that sits far below everything else you're comparing isn't automatically fraudulent, but it is a reason to slow down and check the seller first. If you're trying to work out whether a discount itself is genuine rather than inflated from a false "before" price, how to read a discount in the UAE covers that separately.

Know what happens if something goes wrong

UAE consumer protection law, most recently amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 5 of 2023 to Federal Law No. 15 of 2020, covers goods sold through UAE-registered e-commerce businesses. It requires that e-commerce sellers disclose their licensing details and give consumers accurate product information, and it voids contract terms that would unfairly exempt a supplier from its obligations.

That protection is tied to the seller being a UAE-registered business. If you're weighing up what rights you'd actually have after paying, including on a defective item or a return, see refunds and returns in the UAE for what the law covers.

Never share payment details or one-time passcodes to "confirm" a purchase

A consumer protection official in Dubai has said legitimate sellers should never ask for a one-time passcode (OTP) to confirm a sale. If anyone asks for this during or after a purchase, stop the transaction.

Dubai Police have also warned of a specific pattern involving fake consumer-complaint websites: a victim submits a complaint through what looks like an official page, then receives a call from someone claiming to be a consumer protection officer, who repeats the complaint details back to build trust before asking the victim to install remote access software. That software is then used to access online banking directly. If you're ever asked to install remote access software during a call about a purchase or a complaint, end the call and report it.

Where to report a suspected scam

If you believe you've encountered a fake store, a cloned website, or a scam listing while comparing prices, Dubai Police have asked residents to use official channels only:

• Report through Dubai Police's eCrime platform, or the Dubai Police app's SPS service
• Call 901
• Visit a police station if you prefer to report in person

Dubai Police's Anti-Fraud Center has said speed is critical, urging victims not to wait several days before reporting a case so police can act as soon as possible.

Outside Dubai, or if you're unsure which authority applies, the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism also takes commercial fraud complaints, through an online form, its call centre (800-1222), or by email.

The bottom line

Comparing prices online in the UAE is routine, and it pairs well with a quick habit: check the seller, check the address bar, and never hand over a passcode or remote access to "confirm" anything. None of that takes long, and each check matches a scam pattern UAE authorities have publicly warned about.