SIM replacement cost man Dh165,000

A jobless Indian allegedly got a replacement for a SIM card that belonged to another person, forging a power of attorney.

He is then accused of accessing the victim’s bank account, using the phone and transferring a total of Dh165,000 from the victim’s account, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.
 
On January 25, at around 10am, NM, 37, Bangladeshi public relations manager noticed that his mobile phone was not working.
 
“Checking that, I asked a friend to call me. My friend told me that my mobile is switched off, and it was not.

“I went to my work in Ajman and checked with the phone company. I was told that their system shows that my SIM is working. At around 3.3pm, I approached the Etisalat counter at Ajman City Centre and was issued a new SIM.
 
“At around 4pm, I received four messages on the mobile that were all from my bank.
 
“The first message was about activating the online service, the user name and password. It was at timed 12.13pm.
 
“The second message was about increasing the money transfer limit through online banking.
 
“At around 12.30, the third message states the transfer of Dh100,000 from my account to another person’s account in another bank.
 
“At around 1pm, Dh65,000 was transferred from my account to the same person,” the victim testified.
 
The bank told the customer that he transferred two amounts using his online service.
 
Since he did not he suspected that someone could have done it using a replacement of his SIM card which was not working for more than four hours.
 
Contacting Etisalat, the victim was told that two SIM cards were issued in replacement.

One was at 10am and the other was at around 3.30pm.
 
“Since I did not issue a replacement for my SIM at 10am, someone else did that and logged into my bank account after changing the password.”
 
The victim visited Etisalat counter at Ibn Battuta Mall where the SIM card was issued. Checking with the staff, CCTV footage showed the accused who applied for the replacement of his SIM card.
 
The victim lodged a complaint with the police.
 
Checking with the bank to which the amounts were transferred, police found out that it belonged to SK. However, the Dh165,000 was withdrawn by a compatriot identified as SS.
 
Police arrested SS, 32, jobless Indian.
 
Police confiscated two mobiles with the accused in addition to Dh6,245.

Etisalat employee who processed the SIM card replacement transaction told investigators that a man approached her and presented a power of attorney and a photocopy of the passport of the SIM cardholder.
 
The man asked her to issue a replacement of a SIM card claiming that the holder is outside the country and assigned him.
 
The court will issue sentence on July 31.

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