Court Orders Man to Repay Dh446,000 Over Fake Online Trading Scam
Court finds defendant used an unregistered online trading platform, false assurances of safety to lure the victim into transferring large sums of money.
Staff WriterJan 9, 2026, 10:23 AMAn Abu Dhabi court has ordered a man to repay Dh396,058 and pay an additional Dh50,000 in compensation after ruling that he deceived another individual into investing in a fraudulent online trading scheme that falsely promised secure profits.
The Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Claims Court ruled in favour of the plaintiff, who argued that the defendant persuaded him to transfer substantial sums of money in instalments, claiming the funds would be invested through a legitimate online trading platform.
However, evidence presented before the court established that the platform was not officially registered and formed part of a deliberate scheme to defraud the investor.
In his civil claim, the plaintiff requested the recovery of the full Dh396,058 lost, along with Dh100,000 in compensation for material, emotional and moral damages, in addition to legal expenses and lawyer’s fees.
The case followed earlier criminal proceedings in which prosecutors proved that the defendant had gained control of the plaintiff’s funds through fraudulent means. The court heard that the defendant falsely portrayed the platform as a secure investment opportunity, assisted the plaintiff in opening an account and even allowed a small withdrawal of supposed profits, a tactic used to build trust and encourage further transfers.
Judges noted that this sequence of actions, particularly the initial display of misleading returns, convinced the plaintiff of the scheme’s credibility and led him to hand over large amounts of money.
The court found that the defendant’s actions caused both financial loss and emotional suffering, including distress and regret after the fraud came to light.
After reviewing the evidence, the court awarded Dh50,000 in compensation for losses beyond the principal amount, bringing the defendant’s total financial liability to more than Dh446,000, excluding legal costs.
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