Hoax bank warning from Dubai authorities

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) is alerting the financial services community and members of the public to two fraudulent websites - www.difc-ib.com/ae/ and www.difcbk.com.

The websites fraudulently state that the DIFC Investment Bank (DIFC Bank) is a UK subsidiary of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The DIFC logo has been reproduced and used as the logo for the bogus DIFC Bank. 

The bogus websites also contain a statement that DIFC Bank “obtained authorised status under the Banking Act in 1987” and is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) - registration number 204439.

The DIFC Investment Bank is neither registered nor authorised by either the DIFC, the DFSA, or the UK's FSA.

The authorities strongly advise checking the authenticity of a firm’s regulatory status prior to making any deposit or investment. If you have concerns about a firm's status, then the DFSA has a complaints portal on the DFSA website or by calling the DFSA on +971 4 362 1 576.

www.dfsa.ae
www.fsa.gov.uk