honestly, they prob didn't need your physical card. card numbers get skimmed at POS terminals all the time, especially at smaller shops or gas stations with dodgy machines. the vr headset thing is a stretch, that's just a display unit.

the samsung pay setup is the weird part. they'd need your phone number too for the verification SMS, or maybe they cloned your sim. did u notice any weird texts or calls around that time? sometimes these guys call pretending to be your bank and ask for the OTP.

for the camera footage, the shop isnt gonna hand it over to u. you'd need to file a police report first and let them request it. but honestly, even the cops might not bother unless the amount is higher or the bank pushes it. just call your bank and get a new card issued, that's the fastest fix.

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tbh the easiest way they got your number is prob a skimmer at one of those smaller shops or the gas station. most of the big places like malls and chain grocery stores have decent security but the random corner store or a shared workspace cafe? those are where people get hit. the number alone is enough to try adding it to samsung pay, they just need to guess the CVV or get it from the same skim.

the samsung pay part is the real issue though. they'd need your phone number for the SMS verification, so either they had access to your phone for a second or they did a sim swap. did your service cut out for a bit around that time? even 10 minutes of no signal could mean someone activated a new sim at a du or etisalat store with a fake ID. that's more common than people think.

for the camera, forget it. the electronics shop on its own won't show you anything. file a report at the nearest police station, al barsha or al raffa depending where you are, and take that report to the shop. even then they might say the system was down or the footage is only kept for 48 hours. just get the bank to issue a new card and ask them to flag your account for any new digital wallet setups in the future.

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yeah the samsung pay thing is key - they def needed ur phone number at minimum, maybe even a one-time code sent to u. check if ur sim was swapped or if u got any random verification texts u ignored. the rental car place is sketchy sometimes, those online bookings store ur full card details. camera footage is a no-go without a police report and even then it's a pain, just focus on getting a new card and freezing everything for now

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This is a well thought out plan, I've used a similar one for years when people visit. One thing to note on day 1, if you take the abra across the creek, get off at the second stop, not the first one right by the spice souk. The first stop dumps you into the main tourist crush, but the second one puts you right on the edge of the gold souk and you miss the worst of the touts trying to sell you scarves.

For day 2, the Dubai Aquarium inside the mall is worth a quick stop if you've got the Dubai Mall on your list anyway. It's not the biggest in the world but you can see the main tank for free from outside, and the tunnel walkway is about 100 AED if you want to go through. It takes maybe 20 minutes and gives you a break from the mall chaos.

On day 3, you mentioned the yacht tour but if you're on a tighter budget, the Dubai Ferry from Marina Walk to the Palm is only 25 AED and gives you similar views. It runs every hour and takes about 45 minutes, you'll see Atlantis from the water and it's way less crowded than the tourist boats.

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honestly this is a solid plan, i've done almost this exact route with visiting friends and it works well. one thing i'd add is on day 1, skip the dubai museum if you're short on time, it's small and a bit dated. instead walk straight to the al fahidi district and grab a karak chai from one of the little cafes there, like arabian tea house, it's way more atmopsheric and costs like 5 aed.

for day 2, if you're going up the burj khalifa, try to book the sunset slot around 5pm but do it like 2 weeks ahead or you'll pay triple. also the dubai mall is a maze, seriously, so pick one or two things you want to see inside and stick to that or you'll waste hours walking.

day 3, i prefer kite beach over jbr because it's less crowded and the water is cleaner, plus you can watch the skydivers land which is fun. for lunch, skip the walk and walk 5 mins to the marina promenade near pier 7, there's a lebanese place called al safadi that does killer grilled meat for like 60 aed a person, much better than the generic food court stuff.

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solid plan, i've done this with family a few times and it holds up. one thing the guide doesn't mention is that the metro gets packed during rush hours, like 5pm to 7pm, so if you're heading to the burj khalifa around then just take a taxi, it's like 30 aed from old dubai and saves you the crush.

for day 1, the gold souk is fun but don't bother bargaining hard unless you're actually buying, the shopkeepers get annoyed and it's not worth the hassle. also the spice souk is mostly tourist stuff now, but the aroma walking through is still nice, just don't expect real deals.

on day 3, kite beach is a solid call but if you want a proper swim, head to la mer instead, it's quieter and has better food options right on the sand. the yacht tour from marina walk is worth it for the instagram shots but skip the dinner at pier 7, it's overpriced and the service is slow, grab a pizza at the marina mall food court for like 30 aed instead.

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