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29 March 2024

Cleaner cheats trader of Dh101,000

Published
By Eman Al Baik

A Nigerian cleaner, allegedly with help from fugitives, conned an Indian businessman of Dh101,000, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

RS, 24, sought to trade with a UK-based company through the Internet while he was in India. He communicated with the company by e-mail.

After some time, he started receiving e-mails from people who claimed that they are employees of that company.
 
“In February, I received an e-mail from the company informing that they will transfer $12 million to my bank account through a local bank in the UAE. They conditioned that I should come to Dubai to check my identity. After a couple of days, I came to Dubai and met an African who claimed his name was Philip. However, before meeting the so-called Philip, I received a call from a UAE mobile number and the caller named ‘Farooq’ claimed that he is an employee of a local bank and that I should pay Dh45,000 to Philip as fees for issuing a letter from Customs,” the victim told investigators.
 
The accused presented to the victim a photocopy of a letter that carried the logo of Dubai Customs.
 
The victim handed over the amount to Philip, who was accompanied by another man, in his room in a hotel.
 
The two men invited the victim to the hotel where they stayed and showed him a large box that contained the amount in one-dollar bills and said they will deposit this amount in his bank account.
 
On the following day, bank employee Farooq called the victim to inform him that it was not possible to deposit the amount in his account because of some missing documents for which he has to pay $35,000.
 
“I managed Dh56,000 which I paid to Philip, then in Sharjah. When ‘Farooq’ called me on the next day, I asked him to return the whole amount back to me. But when he refused, I lodged a complaint with the police,” said the victim.
 
Police investigated the complaint and identified DK, 47, who held a cleaner’s residence visa. DK was arrested near Dubai Financial Centre.
 
When confronting with the allegations, DK denied knowing the victim or dealing with him at all.
 
However, the victim recognised DK when shown to him via identification parade.
 
Dubai Prosecution supplied the court with CCTV footage that captured the victim entering a room with DK and two other Africans.
 
DK admitted before the police that he had conned the victim of Dh101,000. He is also accused of forging an official document.
 
The court will reconvene on  January 17.