The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has warned of a new scam in which fraudsters impersonate its officials and use AI-generated images to claim that a box containing cash and gold bars belonging to the recipient is being held at the authority’s offices. The scammers demand payment equivalent to 11.1 per cent of the assets’ alleged value to release the fictitious consignment.

According to an official warning issued on September 21, 2026, the scammers pose as officers from a fictitious department called the “Regulatory Compliance Division” and pressure recipients by imposing a payment deadline. They claim the requested amount is a fee required to take the box out of the country.

To make the claim appear genuine, AI-generated images are sent to potential victims. The images show a package bearing the recipient’s name and address on a desk at what appears to be a DFSA office, with the authority’s logo visible in the background.

The DFSA stressed that it does not hold boxes containing cash, gold bars or other personal assets, nor does it charge a “consignment export fee”. The purported department responsible for collecting such fees does not exist within the authority. The DFSA also warned that it does not use email addresses with the domain @dfsaofficals.com.

The authority urged the public not to respond to messages promising the delivery of assets, prizes or inheritances in exchange for an upfront payment. To verify the authenticity of correspondence, recipients should not use the phone number or link provided in the suspicious message. Instead, they should obtain contact details independently from the authority’s official website.

Anyone who has already transferred money should contact their bank immediately to explore whether the payment can be stopped or recovered. Victims are also advised to retain messages, emails and payment records, and report the matter to the police and through the DFSA’s complaints system.