Man loses Dhs3,500 in fake dollar deal, hands over wrong person to police in Dubai

Mohammed Yaseen, Staff Reporter

An Asian was defrauded with a fake dollar deal via a Facebook account promoting the sale of dollars at less than the recognised value. As he lost Dhs3,500, the Asian decided to search for and arrest the fraudster by trying to contact him via another phone number and a different Facebook account.

The victim managed to weave a plan to lure the fraudster by buying Dhs90,000 for $50,000 and agreed with him on a place and date for executing the deal.

Accompanied by another man, the victim arrived on time and caught a person who he believed was the fraudster he was looking for.

He then called the police who arrested the suspect and referred him to Dubai Public Prosecution, which referred him to the Criminal Court on charges of attempted fraud.

According to the official documents, the Dubai Criminal Court acquitted the suspect of the charges levelled to him, as the investigations and the victim’s statement proved that the fraudster in the first crime was a tall young man, while the suspect was short.

It was proved to the court that the suspect was in the same place by chance and that the victim and his companion assaulted him and restricted his movement before handing him over to the police.

The victim stated in the interrogations that he was defrauded last July by an Arab who ran an account on Facebook promoting the sale of dollars.

The fraudster was offering a US dollar at a value less than its current price offered in exchange companies.

The victim told the fraudster that he wanted to exchange $5,000 for Dhs3,500. When he arrived at the agreed place, the fraudster was given the agreed on money and upon his departure, he gave the victim a sum of money that turned out to be a fake currency.

The victim contacted the fraudster to get his money back, but the latter did not answer his phone and blocked communication by phone and via Facebook.

He then decided to contact the fraudster via another phone number and a different account, luring him into a purchase deal of exchanging $50,000 for Dhs90,000. The victim agreed with the fraudster to meet in Al Baraha area in Dubai.

As he saw a man standing in the same place, the victim thought that he was the fraudster and consequently he caught him and handed him over to the police.

On interrogation, the suspect denied the charges levelled to him, pleading that he was in Al Baraha area when the victim and another man asked him about a deal and a seller that he did not know.

The victim and his companion then assaulted him and blocked his way before they called the police.