Dubai Court Jails Two for Counterfeit Phone Scam Targeting European Tourist

Two men have been sentenced by the Dubai Misdemeanor Court to one month in jail, followed by deportation, after being found guilty of selling counterfeit phones to a European visitor. The court also ordered them to jointly pay a fine equivalent to $1,500.

The case began in September 2024 when the victim, who was in the UAE on a tourist visa, reported that he had been deceived and stripped of $1,500. He told investigators that while walking along Sheikh Zayed Road, the pair approached him and offered two mobile phones at a price lower than the market rate. After inspecting the devices and believing they were genuine, he paid for them. He later suspected that one of the men had swapped the phones while placing them back into their boxes.

Upon checking the devices, he realised he had been scammed. He chased the suspects and, with the help of a passer-by, managed to detain one before contacting the police.

A police officer testified that the second suspect was located and arrested within minutes. During questioning, both men admitted to deceiving the victim and taking his money. The officer added that the pair had a pattern of targeting passers-by in various areas, luring them with authentic devices before switching them with counterfeit ones at the moment of packaging.

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