Dubai Police Arrest Group for Coordinated Fake Google Reviews Targeting Company

Dubai Police have detained a group of individuals accused of deliberately publishing coordinated false negative reviews on a commercial company's Google Maps listing, according to statements made by police officials. The campaign was designed to damage the targeted business's reputation and trigger financial losses.

The operation was initiated after the affected company's management submitted an official complaint regarding a wave of malicious ratings. Major Yasser Juma Mohammed, Head of the Social Media Crimes Section at Dubai Police's General Department of Criminal Investigation, stated that investigations revealed several commercial establishments had formed groups to coordinate and post false reviews.

Details of the case were disclosed during an episode of the Dubai Police Podcast released on October 12, 2026. Police teams identified the accounts used in the attack and arrested the perpetrators before referring them to the Public Prosecution. Authorities did not disclose the company name, the exact number of arrests, or the monetary value of damages incurred.

Police officials highlighted that deliberately spreading false, defamatory, or harmful content online exposes offenders to legal accountability under the UAE's cybercrime legal framework. Businesses were advised to actively monitor ratings, document coordinated attacks, and report violations through official digital crime reporting channels.