Dh18,660 rent scam begins with online ad

A housing scam is being unraveled in the Dubai courts.

Three Pakistani suspects are standing trial for allegedly placing an online advertisement, forging a flat ownership certificate and conning a potential tenant of Dh18,660.

The three suspects - OY, 21 and OM, 22, both sales representatives and AA, 25, employee, have confessed to their crime to investigating officers.

The incident came to light when an Indian civil engineer, BR, 42, lost his money.

He told the Dubai Criminal Court that he was looking out to rent an apartment and saw the online advertisement about a flat in The Gardens in Jebel Ali. He called the contact number provided and OY answered the call.  “He guided me to the location and I went there and saw the flat which I liked and decided to rent it. Later I informed him of my decision and he agreed to meet me at Ibn Battuta mall at around 7pm.

"We met in a coffee shop and discussed the rent, which was Dh44,000. He said that should be paid in 4 installments of Dh11,000 each. He asked me to pay Dh3,000 for booking the flat, which I did. He issued me a receipt for that. As he claimed he is a mediator, he asked me to pay him a total of Dh3,500. I paid him Dh1,750 -  half of his commission - for which he did not issue any receipt.”

“He told me that I should pay Dh1,160 for water and electricity connection. The following day he submitted a lease signed by the so-claimed owner AA and so I signed on it as a tenant, paid him the first installment, Dh1,700 as commission, and Dh1,160 for water and electricity connection fees and issued him three cheques. He in turn issued me a receipt of Dh13,860,” testified the victim.

However, 10 days later he discovered that he was conned. And so filed a complaint with the police.

Police arrested the accused who admitted to their crime.

Criminal evidences records prove the documents and the signature were forged. The receipts were issued in the name of a fake company.

The court is adjourned until September 30.

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