Sharjah Misdemeanours Court Convicts Two Men In Dh84,000 Lottery Prize Scam

Two men who allegedly posed as representatives of a government entity to convince a man that he had won a Dh200,000 cash prize have been sentenced to six months in prison by a UAE court.

 

The Sharjah Misdemeanours Court convicted the two defendants in absentia and ordered their deportation from the country after the victim discovered that Dh84,000 had been taken from his bank account instead of receiving the promised prize.

 

How The Scam Unfolded

 

According to court records, the incident began with a phone call informing the victim that he had won Dh200,000. The callers allegedly claimed to represent a government entity, lending credibility to the unexpected prize and persuading the victim that the offer was genuine.

 

The men told him that certain procedures had to be completed before the prize could be released. They subsequently asked him to provide personal identification and banking information as part of what they described as a verification process.

 

The callers also persuaded the victim to disclose a one-time password (OTP) linked to his bank account. Believing that the information was required to complete the procedures and receive the prize, he complied with their requests.

 

The promised payment, however, never arrived. Instead, the victim discovered that Dh84,000 had been withdrawn from his account, according to the case records.

 

Court Proceedings

 

The victim reported the incident to the authorities, leading to the prosecution of the two men before the Sharjah Misdemeanours Court.

 

Prosecutors accused the defendants of using fraudulent methods to obtain the victim’s banking information and gain access to his funds. After examining the circumstances surrounding the calls and the subsequent movement of money, the court convicted both men.

 

Each defendant was sentenced in absentia to six months in prison, followed by deportation from the UAE.

 

The case illustrates a familiar pattern in financial fraud, in which criminals use the promise of an unexpected prize to create excitement and persuade victims to lower their guard.

 

The alleged use of a government identity added another layer of credibility to the deception, while the request for an OTP was critical to gaining access to the victim’s funds.

 

What appeared to be a Dh200,000 windfall therefore ended with the victim losing Dh84,000 instead.