The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has been notified that firms and individuals within @ DIFC have received fraudulent emails impersonating the DFSA.

These emails falsely claim to relate to regulatory or enforcement matters, including alleged code violations and requests to sign documents or confirm receipt of correspondence. The emails are designed to appear authentic and may include DFSA branding, employee names, job titles and contact details.

The emails:
• Appear to be sent from the DFSA, but originate from non-official email domains that closely resemble “@dfsa.ae”.
• Refer to urgent regulatory action, enforcement matters or alleged breaches of Law No. 1 of 2004.
• Request recipients to confirm receipt of documents, provide signatures, or upload files via embedded links.
• Use language intended to create urgency and prompt immediate action. 

The DFSA does not:
• Have a compliance department
• Send official correspondence from non DFSA email domains.
• Request confidential information, document signatures or file uploads via unsolicited email links.
• Use third party file sharing links in unsolicited communications. 

Firms and individuals receiving such emails should:
• Not respond to the email.
• Not click on any links or open attachments.
• Not provide any personal or firm information.
• Delete the email and report it internally in accordance with their information security procedures. 

The DFSA sends all official communications from verified @dfsa.ae email addresses and through established supervisory channels.

Where interaction with such an email may already have occurred, firms should immediately notify their IT/security teams and take appropriate mitigating steps.

The DFSA has a page on its website dedicated to alerts which has issued about scams.  All alerts issued by the DFSA may be accessed by going to Alerts.

The DFSA has also issued warnings and guidance about the common types of scams perpetrated on consumers. For more information on these scams, please go to How to avoid being scammed.

The DFSA encourages consumers to refer to the list of regulated Firms and Authorised Individuals licensed by the DFSA that is available on the DFSA's Public Register.

If you have any concerns about the authenticity of any correspondence or documents that purport to be issued by the DIFC, DFSA or a DFSA-regulated Firm, you should direct your concerns to the DIFC on Tel: +971 4 362 2222 and to the DFSA via the DFSA Complaints function.