Abu Dhabi Court Orders Man to Repay Dh11,000 in Instagram Gold Fraud
Civil court rules in favour of woman who lost money in fake social media gold shop scheme, confirming criminal conviction and binding repayment order.
Staff WriterOct 2, 2025, 7:44 AMA civil court in Abu Dhabi has ordered a man to return Dh11,000 to a woman after he was found guilty of deceiving her with a fraudulent Instagram advertisement for a gold shop.
The woman had transferred the amount to the man after he promoted himself online as the owner of a jewellery business, but she never received the gold she paid for. Following a criminal investigation, the Abu Dhabi Money Prosecution registered Case No. 2191-2025, leading to the defendant being fined Dh20,000 for fraud.
She subsequently filed a civil lawsuit seeking repayment and presented both the decision of the Reconciliation and Conciliation Committee and a copy of the criminal judgment. The civil court heard the case over several sessions, with the woman attending while the defendant failed to appear.
After reviewing the evidence, the court ruled that under UAE law, no person has the right to take another’s money without legitimate cause. Article 318 of the Civil Transactions Law stipulates that anyone who takes money unlawfully is obliged to return it.
Since the criminal court had already convicted the man of defrauding the woman, that ruling was deemed final and binding. The UAE Court of Cassation affirms that civil courts must accept the findings of criminal courts on the same act or facts.
Accordingly, the court ordered the defendant to repay the woman Dh11,000 and cover all lawsuit fees and expenses, in line with UAE civil law.
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