Dubai Court Jails Trio, Orders Dh518,500 Fine and Deportation in Cyber Fraud Case

Dubai court has sentenced three men to two months in jail and imposed fines totalling Dh518,500 after convicting them of handling funds obtained through cyber fraud.

The Dubai Misdemeanours Court also ordered their deportation upon completion of their sentences. The fines correspond to the amounts each defendant received: Dh346,000 for the first, Dh72,500 for the second, and Dh100,000 for the third.

The case dates back to January 2026, when a resident was defrauded after clicking on a fake link he believed was linked to a consumer protection service. He was redirected to a WhatsApp chat with an individual posing as an official, who requested his bank card details and verification code under the guise of processing a complaint and completing payment procedures.

According to court records, the victim initially carried out a small transaction before discovering that large sums — amounting to about Dh660,000 — had been withdrawn from his accounts within a short period. He subsequently reported the incident to authorities.

Financial investigations revealed that part of the stolen funds was transferred into local bank accounts linked to the defendants, while other amounts were routed through multiple accounts in an apparent attempt to conceal the money trail.

Investigators found that the three men had been recruited through fake job advertisements circulated on social media. An unidentified individual allegedly offered them commissions in exchange for allowing their bank accounts to be used to receive and transfer funds.

The defendants admitted they received the money in installments, passed it on to other accounts, and retained a portion for themselves.

The court held that the evidence — including the victim’s testimony, banking records and the defendants’ confessions — established their role in possessing proceeds of crime. It noted that the large transfers, absence of legitimate justification, and rapid movement of funds pointed to clear criminal intent.

Authorities have reiterated warnings to the public against engaging with unknown links or sharing sensitive financial information with unverified sources. Officials emphasised that legitimate government entities do not request such details via messaging platforms and urged residents to verify links and report suspicious activity promptly.

The case underscores a growing pattern of fraudsters using fake service links and social media recruitment schemes to channel illicit funds through third-party bank accounts.

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