Bollywood actor and television star Archana Puran Singh said that she lost "thousands of rupees" when her family accidentally used a fake website to book an indoor skydiving experience.

In her vlog on YouTube, the celebrity said that her family had booked an experience using a website they found - unaware it was not the actual website of the attraction they were looking to visit. It was only upon arriving at the location that they discovered there was no reservation under their name.

Her son then elaborated and said that he saw a 'Ramadan offer' while booking the tickets online on the fake website, not realising Ramadan ended in March.

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He also said that while booking, he noticed that the duration of the flight had changed at the payment page, but didn't think that he couldfall victim to a scam.

In the vlog, her son attempted to look for the website again to no avail. It had disappeared.

Repeated reminders

Authorities have repeatedly issued reminders, asking residents and tourists to be vigilant when making payments online to avoid fraud.

On July 16, Abu Dhabi Judicial Department issued an advisory with tips to avoid e-fraud. Here are some:

• Check the email sent, and check the links before clicking on them. A link should start with " "

• Be careful not to provide personal information, and make sure you know who you are dealing with

• Be careful when you do online shopping. Check the reliability and ownership of the store through the commercial register or a self-employment document.

• Be careful not to make any bank transfers to unknown accounts, and do not deal with any electronic payment links sent on WhatsApp or social media platforms

• Verify irregular discounts and offers especially in unknown stores

• Report crimes immediately and contact the concerned authorities

• Do not rush! Do not give anybody your card details (card number -expiry date ccv code or OTP verification code)

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