Fraudsters preying on bald, pot-bellied and middle-aged men

Fraudsters operating in busy shopping areas of Dubai and Sharjah have found a new way to cheat middle-aged men who sulk about going bald, or their pot-belly or other so-called ‘look’ ailments.

They hang around Rolla in Sharjah and Hor Al Anz and Sabkha in Deira, Dubai.

“Fraudsters from two South Asian countries hang around in these areas and approach bald or obese men, strike up a conversation with them and start giving health tips. If the victim looks gullible, they will then start advising expert treatment to cure baldness or reduce weight. For thin men, they will offer easy solutions to increase their weight,” said a man who is familiar with the modus operandi.

“One Asian guy approached me and told me baldness is no longer a problem and there are herbal cures for baldness,” he said.

The victim is then advised me to buy a certain brand of hair oil from an adjacent grocery store and after buying this hair oil, he will be advised to buy a bottle of ‘growth oil’ costing Dh100 from a shop run by a member of the gang.

The cost of medicines suggested will, of course, vary according to the capacity of the victim’s pockets. If the victim seems relatively well-off, the fraudsters will raise the cost of ‘growth oil’ to Dh500.

“One cheater offered me a cure for baldness and accompanied me to the shop to buy the hair oil and growth oil which is quite expensive. I have lost some money because the cheating continued for some time,” said a victim from Deira.

After both medicines are bought, the fraudsters will sometimes also take the victim to a doctor who will also charge a hefty amount. The cheaters have cures for all health problems, even for sweating.

“One guy approached me and started talking about my pot-belly. He convinced me to start treatment immediately. I lost a few hundred dirhams,” said another victim.

Another victim said fraudsters also stick notices to attract people’s attention. Many shamefaced victims are not admitting to have been cheated, he said.

However, one victim has been running a campaign to warn pedestrians in Rolla, Sharjah, by sticking notices warning about these health fraudsters.  The notices are next to the ads of the cheaters.

Also, when he sees a fraudster approach a potential victim, he would rush to alert him. As a result, furious cheaters have threatened him with dire consequences.

Most of the victims are from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

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