UAE court orders man to repay Dh270,400 for false marriage promise, fines him Dh50,000

The Abu Dhabi Civil Family and Administrative Court has ordered a man to repay Dh270,400 to a woman after deceiving her through a social media application by impersonating another person and falsely promising marriage.

The court also fined the defendant an additional Dh50,000 in compensation to the woman for the damages she suffered after he allegedly manipulated her into giving him money under various pretexts before cutting off contact.

According to court records, the woman filed a lawsuit demanding the repayment of Dh270,400, representing the total amount she said the man obtained from her without legal justification, Al Khaleej Arabic daily reported.  

She also requested late interest of 9 per cent from the date the amount became due under a previous criminal judgment until full repayment, in addition to Dh100,000 in compensation for both material and moral damages.

The claimant told the court that the man first contacted her through a social media platform, where he assumed a false identity and gradually gained her trust by building a social relationship and expressing his intention to marry her.

To reinforce the deception, he allegedly visited her family home accompanied by several individuals whom he introduced as members of his family, giving the impression that formal engagement arrangements were under way.

The woman stated that after gaining her confidence, the defendant began requesting money from her under various excuses. She initially transferred Dh10,400 to a bank account he specified in several instalments, followed by Dh30,000.

She also handed over Dh180,000 in cash through a person he introduced as his private driver, claiming the funds were needed for his mother’s medical treatment abroad. In addition, she transferred further sums of Dh40,000 and Dh10,000 based on what she later discovered were false claims.

The court ultimately ruled that the defendant must repay the full amount obtained from the woman and pay Dh50,000 in compensation for the harm caused.