UAE: Man jailed for swindling woman by posing as an apartment owner

The accused also duped the building watchman and the broker by including them in his clever scheme

Afkar Ali Ahmed

Published: Wed 21 Dec 2022, 8:57 AM

Last updated: Wed 21 Dec 2022, 2:13 PM

A 43-year-old Arab national was sentenced by the Dubai Criminal Court to two months imprisonment, and was fined Dh4,800 for luring an Arab woman with an advertisement that he had posted on Facebook, in which he claimed he owned housing units for rent at reasonable prices.

To perfect his ruse, the accused used a real estate broker. He convinced the broker that he was in control of the apartment, and asked him to accompany the woman on a tour to inspect the unit. He then asked the victim to leave the amount with the building guard.

According to the investigations of the Public Prosecution Office and the case papers, the accused had perceived the fraud as a means of earning extra money on the side. So, he devised a trick by publishing an advertisement on Facebook stating that he owned housing units for rent at reasonable prices.

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The victim contacted the accused via the number listed in the advertisement, as she had been searching for an apartment in Dubai.

The broker identified the accused as E.A. The broker agreed with her to inspect the apartment located in one of the complexes.

The victim went to the apartment on the appointed time, and inspected the apartment accompanied by the real estate broker. She then spoke to the accused via phone. Here, he informed her that the first payment towards the rent was Dh4,800. There was also an insurance fee of Rs1000.

He then asked her to leave the amount with the building guard. She came later to receive the contract and the key of the apartment.

The victim said that she waited for a call from the accused at the stipulated time, but did not get one. So, she contacted him by phone, when he told her that he would prepare the contract and leave it with the guard with the key. He did not adhere to the appointment this time as well, which made her suspicious.

She explained that she was surprised to receive a call from the broker, who said that he had received a letter from the accused stating he did not own the unit, and that he had been mocking the victim.

The victim was also instructed to retrieve her money from the building watchman. When she did so, she was shocked to learn that the accuser had escaped with the money, and had switched off his phone.

The watchman, however, had taken a photograph of the accused person's identity card. This helped her file a case.

The building's guard testified in the Public Prosecution's investigations that he had handed over the money to the accused.

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