Dubai

A businessman and a visitor have been accused of cheating a stewardess of Dh25,000 after deceitfully convincing her that she won Dh500,000, a court heard on Tuesday.

The Italian stewardess was said to have received a phone call from someone who pretended to be calling from du and alleged to her that her number has won a grand prize of Dh500,000 in January.

Falling for the trick, the Italian stewardess was left under the impression that she had to pay Dh25,000, according to records, as government fees and value added tax to be able to claim her prize.

The stewardess was believed to have paid different payments in instant cash transfer and transferred phone credits from her phone, online and through du machines.

Records said a du salesperson realised that the Italian woman had spent long time transferring phone credit on one machine at a mall before she alerted her that she had been scammed.

The stewardess reported the matter to the police.

Primary interrogations led to the arrest of the 22-year-old Indian visitor who was identified from the CCTV cameras at the money exchange house from where he had collected the instant cash transfer.

Further interrogations led to the arrest of his accomplice, a 48-year-old Bangladeshi businessman.

Prosecutors charged the Indian and Bangladeshi suspect of forging du papers, misusing WhatsApp and the telecommunication system to swindle and embezzle the Italian’s money.

According to the accusation sheet, prosecutors said the suspects and two runaways, who remain at large, swindled the stewardess’s money through abusing the telecommunication system and using forged papers.

The Indian suspect pleaded not guilty and refuted his accusations when he appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday.

Prison wardens did not bring the Bangladeshi suspect from his detention and present him in court.

The Italian woman claimed to prosecutors that a man, who claimed to be calling her from du, first contacted her and that she had won Dh500,000.

“He claimed to me that I would be contacted by his co-worker from du … then a woman phoned me and gave me instructions on how to remove my SIM card and read a serial number. I called that number and then she called me back and gave me that same serial number … and that was how I trusted her. She made me transfer money and phone credits around Dh25,000, until one du salesperson saw me at du machine in a mall and warned me that I had been tricked,” she testified to prosecutors.

A police sergeant claimed to prosecutors that the Indian suspect was apprehended at the airport shortly before he fled the country.

“The Indian alleged during questioning that he and his accomplice [Bangladeshi and two runaways] tricked the stewardess and made her transfer money to them,” he testified to prosecutors.

A ruling will be heard on May 22.