Abu Dhabi court fines man Dh10,000 in F1 ticket scam

Dubai: An Abu Dhabi court has ordered a seller to pay Dh10,000 in compensation after defrauding a buyer with fake Formula 1 tickets purchased via Instagram.

The Abu Dhabi Civil, Family and Administrative Court also ordered the defendant to return Dh6,000 paid by the buyer, who had transferred the amount via bank transfer before discovering the tickets were not valid.

According to court documents, the victim filed a civil case seeking reimbursement and damages after the seller failed to respond to requests for a refund, Al Khaleej Arabic daily reported.

 A prior criminal ruling had already convicted the defendant in absentia, sentencing him to three months in prison, a Dh20,000 fine and deportation.

The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department has warned the public against purchasing event tickets through social media platforms, citing increased cases of fraud involving discounted offers and fake listings.