Fake official phone scam ends in court order to repay Dh40,000

Abu Dhabi: A court in Al Dhafra has ordered two men to repay Dh40,909 to a woman after she was tricked into transferring her savings in a phone scam, in which one defendant impersonated an official government employee.

The Al Dhafra Court of First Instance also ordered an additional Dh4,090 in compensation, holding the men civilly liable for the fraud. The victim had sought damages for moral and emotional harm, according to court records.

Reports said one of the men called the woman, claiming to represent a government-related body and referencing a complaint she had filed earlier. He persuaded her to install a mobile application and transfer her funds to multiple accounts. She realised she had been defrauded only after completing the transactions.

The defendants had already been convicted in a criminal case for unlawfully obtaining money from an illicit source, receiving three-month suspended prison sentences and deportation orders. With no appeal filed, the ruling became final.

The court noted that the men had not returned any of the stolen money and ruled they must jointly repay the victim, covering the financial loss she suffered.