Fake apartment rental scam costs Abu Dhabi man Dh6,610

Abu Dhabi: A civil court in Abu Dhabi has ordered a man to repay Dh5,110 and an additional Dh1,500 in compensation to a woman he defrauded through a fake apartment rental advertisement, Emarat Al Youm reported. 

According to court documents, the woman filed a lawsuit against a “fake broker” who had posted a deceptive ad offering an apartment for rent. 

After contacting him and paying the requested amount, she later discovered that the listing was fraudulent. The defendant was previously convicted in a criminal court, which fined him Dh15,000 for fraud and misappropriation.

In its civil ruling, the Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Cases Court reaffirmed that the criminal judgment provided binding proof of wrongdoing, noting that under UAE law, final criminal verdicts carry evidentiary weight in related civil claims.

“The criminal court has conclusively determined the occurrence of the act and its attribution to the defendant,” the ruling stated, adding that civil courts must accept those findings when assessing liability.

The court found that the man had withdrawn the amount directly from the woman’s bank card using deceptive means, constituting both a breach of trust and a deliberate act of fraud.

On the issue of damages, the court ruled that the plaintiff suffered financial harm from losing the funds and emotional distress from the deceit. “Compensation in such cases is not intended for enrichment,” the judgment noted, “but to redress the injury suffered by the victim.”

The ruling ordered the defendant to pay the full disputed amount, Dh5,110, plus Dh1,500 in moral and material damages, along with all court fees and expenses.