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19 March 2024

Ferrari-driving scammer has Dubai luxury car owners on alert

Published
By Mohammed El Sadafy

A car owner who wanted to sell his vehicle was duped by a fraudulent buyer who drove in a Ferrari.

An Egyptian, offered his car - Porsche Cayenne, model 2011 – for sale on one of the websites for Dh200,000.

The same evening he received a call from a person who claimed he was interested in buying his car and requested to meet him to complete the purchase formalities right away.

The Egyptian claims that the buyer and his friend came in for the meeting and it was the friend who dealt with him, while the 39-year-old buyer sat in the Ferrari.

"The buyer’s friend told me that the buyer is from the ruling family and that he owns many companies, and he wants to finish all sale procedures tonight so that he could gift the car to his wife who lost her car in an accident,” said the victim.

So the three men headed to the registration and inspection car center in Al Qusais – which is open 24 hours – and completed the sale procedures. He claims he was surprised as the buyer gave him a cheque of Dh190,000 immediately.

However, little did he realise he was in for shock soon.

The next day he learnt that the bank account for the cheque was closed five years ago and it was of a car rental company owned by the car buyer and his wife.

That was not all. He got another shocker, when he saw his car being offered on sale again on the same website he had advertised.

He rushed to Al Qusais police station, only to discover that the buyer has a criminal record and there are five complaints against him for similar cases.

The Egyptian added that the defendant promised him and the police that he would pay the amount of the car within 15 days.

However, he he did not pay the amount within the agreed period. He has also switched off his mobile phone and is not reachable.

The case is now in the criminal court.