Abu Dhabi court orders woman to pay Dh14,000 in Instagram recruitment scam

Abu Dhabi: A woman has tricked a man into handing over Dh7,000 after posting a misleading advertisement on Instagram claiming she could arrange the recruitment of a domestic worker, an Abu Dhabi court has ruled.

The Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Claims Court ordered the woman to return the Dh7,000 she had taken and to pay a further Dh7,000 in compensation for the financial and emotional harm suffered by the claimant.

According to Emarat Al Youm, the man came across an online advertisement in which the woman said she worked in domestic labour recruitment.

After contacting her to benefit from her services, she requested an advance payment of Dh7,000 to proceed with hiring a maid. The man transferred the amount to her bank account, but she failed to honour the agreement and did not provide the promised service.

The claimant filed a civil case seeking repayment of the amount, legal interest, and compensation for damages. He submitted evidence including a criminal judgment that had convicted the woman and fined her Dh20,000, as well as WhatsApp messages exchanged between the two parties.

In its judgment, the court cited the UAE Civil Transactions Law, which states that no person may take another’s property without lawful justification and that any amount taken must be returned. The court found that the woman had obtained the money through deception and was therefore obligated to repay it.

The court further ruled that her actions caused material damage, represented by the financial loss and loss of use of the funds, as well as moral damage in the form of distress and anxiety. As a result, the court ordered her to pay Dh7,000 in compensation in addition to returning the original amount, along with court fees and expenses.