Dubai Court orders four Arabs to be deported following conviction for Dh238,000 car scam  

Dubai: Four Arab nationals who tricked a man into handing over his Lexus SUV worth Dh238,000 have been ordered by a Dubai civil court to repay the full value of the vehicle, following earlier criminal convictions that saw them jailed, fined, and deported, Emarat Al Youm reported. 

The case began when the victim, an Arab man, listed his Lexus for sale on an online platform. 

He was approached by one of the defendants, who posed as a buyer and offered to pay the full asking price. 

At a licensing center, the defendant reinforced the ruse with a fake sales contract and a forged manager’s check. 

Convinced of the deal’s legitimacy, the seller transferred ownership of the238,000-dirham vehicle to another defendant.

When the victim deposited the check, the bank flagged it as counterfeit. 

He immediately alerted police, and prosecutors in Dubai charged the four men with fraud, use of forged documents, and knowingly possessing property obtained through crime.

A misdemeanor court sentenced all four defendants to one month in jail, fined them jointly for the value of the car, and ordered their deportation. The ruling was upheld on appeal and later by the Court of Cassation, making it final.

Seeking further redress, the victim filed a civil lawsuit demanding both repayment of the car’s value and an additional Dh100,000 in damages for financial and emotional harm. He argued that losing the car disrupted his livelihood and caused distress.

In its reasoning, the civil court noted that under UAE law, civil judges are bound by criminal verdicts on the essential facts of a case. 

Since the criminal courts had already established fraud and deception, the civil court held the defendants liable for repaying Dh238,000. 

However, the judge rejected the claim for additional damages, citing a lack of evidence proving psychological or material harm beyond the loss of the vehicle.

The court’s ruling emphasized that emotional distress or harm to dignity  recognized under Emirati law as “moral damages” must be supported by concrete evidence. In this case, the court found none beyond the financial loss already addressed.