UAE | General
Two conmen in dollar bill hoax arrested
Police have arrested two of a three-member gang who attempted to trick money out of people with an elaborate hoax involving US banknotes and a chemical solution that would remove a special stamp on them.
- By Shadiah Abdullah, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 December 1, 2003
Police have arrested two of a three-member gang who attempted to trick money out of people with an elaborate hoax involving US banknotes and a chemical solution that would remove a special stamp on them.
The men approached several people claiming that they had $10 million worth of banknotes bearing a message that said the notes could only be used in the pre-war "oil for food" programme in Iraq.
They offered to sell the notes for $3 million, and said they would supply an ink removing solution that would make the notes look like new. When the police found out about the scam they sent an undercover policeman to set up an elaborate sting operation to catch them.
The detective first met a Saudi and a Yemeni who told him they knew a man from Chad who had the money in his possession.
The undercover officer was asked to pay $300,000 to buy the special solution to get rid of the stamp. He was then introduced to the Chadian.
During the course of a month-and-a-half he met the Chadian in different coffee shops and hotels. After the Chadian thought he had spun a web over his 'victim', he invited him to his office at a building in Bur Dubai.
There they reached a deal which specified that the agent would bring $300,000 with him to pay for the solution and the Chadian would bring some of the stamped money. They agreed to rent a hotel room on Dhiyafa Road where the deal would take place.
The Chadian asked the undercover agent not to inform the other gang members of their deal. During the meeting the police arrested him and found he was carrying $200 worth of bills carrying crude stamps, while he also had clean dollar bills.
The police later found out that the man had a case filed against him by a woman who claimed that he had swindled her out of $50,000. The Saudi accomplice was later arrested in a sting operation in another hotel. Police are still looking for the third man.
In an earlier incident, a 30-year-old African reportedly claimed to have the ability to increase Dh4,500 to Dh150,000 through sorcery. Acting on information a squad from the CID Economic Crimes Department set a trap and arrested him.
Police seized black banknote-sized papers covered with powder and a bottle containing a chemical. The would be 'sorcerer' admitted the charges and told police his aim was to cheat people and leave the country.
Fraudsters employ similar tricks
There have been many instances of fraudsters seeking to hoodwink the gullible out of their money, but several appear to follow a similar modus operandi.
* Two men, a Senegalese and a Malian, both visitors, duped a Qatari national into believing they could turn $250,000 into $21 million by using black magic. They managed to extract around $180,000 before the intended victim got wise and headed to the nearest police station. The result: the two swindlers are now cooling their heels in prison.
* Two Cameroonian nationals claimed they had the ability to multiply money by using magic potions. But the conmen just relied on their sleight of hand to turn one Dh500 note into four separate bills under the astonished gaze of a startled undercover policeman. The duo did not go any further in their plot to deceive people and are now serving time in prison.
* Three conmen who claimed they could double any currency – by separating each side of a note into two, through special chemicals – made the mistake of picking a police informer as their prospective victim for their grand designs. They were caught redhanded and are
now serving time.
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