Al Ain Court Orders Brothers to Repay Dh73,000 in Luxury Watch Fraud Case

A man who lost Dh73,000 in a fraudulent luxury watch transaction has won a civil case against two brothers, with a court ordering them to return the amount after concluding that the money had been obtained through deception.

The Al Ain Court for Civil, Commercial and Administrative Claims ruled that the two defendants must jointly repay Dh73,000 to the claimant after the first defendant persuaded him that he could arrange a luxury watch at a price below market value.

According to court records, the claimant had contacted the first defendant regarding a watch advertised for sale and the two agreed on the terms of the transaction. Acting on the agreement, the buyer transferred Dh73,000 to a bank account specified by the defendant, which was later found to belong to the second defendant, the seller’s brother.

The claimant later realised he had been defrauded and filed a lawsuit seeking the return of the money. He also requested Dh27,000 in compensation for damages, along with court fees and legal expenses.

The court noted that the first defendant had earlier been convicted in a criminal case linked to the same incident and fined Dh80,000 for fraud. The second defendant admitted that the payment had been transferred to his bank account at the request of his brother.

Despite being legally notified, the first defendant failed to appear before the court.

In its judgment, the court said the earlier criminal ruling confirmed that the first defendant had unlawfully obtained the claimant’s money after misleading him by claiming he could supply the watch at a lower price and supporting the claim with images before requesting the transfer to his brother’s account.

During the hearing, the second defendant confirmed that the bank account used for the transfer belonged to him and that the payment had been made at his brother’s request. However, he did not provide evidence that the money had been returned or transferred to another party, nor did he demonstrate any lawful basis for retaining the funds.

Referring to provisions of the UAE Civil Transactions Law, the court said no individual may take another person’s property without legal justification and that anyone who receives money without lawful cause is obligated to return it.

The court ordered both defendants jointly to repay Dh73,000 to the claimant. It also directed the first defendant alone to pay Dh20,000 in compensation for the material and moral damages suffered by the claimant, along with court costs. Other claims filed in the case were dismissed.

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