Abu Dhabi Court Orders Return of Dh42,500 in Fake Rent Scam

An Abu Dhabi court has ruled that a fraudster must return Dh42,500 after deceiving a tenant into transferring rent to a fraudulent bank account.

The scam occurred when the tenant, who was renting a property from a company, received a message from an individual impersonating an employee of the property firm during the lease renewal process. The impersonator instructed the tenant to transfer the rent payment to a specified bank account.

Believing the instructions were legitimate, the tenant transferred Dh42,500. He later discovered the account did not belong to the company, realizing he had been defrauded. This led to a criminal complaint and subsequent conviction of the person involved in the fraudulent transaction.

After the criminal case concluded, the tenant pursued a civil lawsuit at the Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Claims Court to recover the lost funds. He demanded repayment of the full Dh42,500, along with Dh10,000 in compensation for material, moral, and psychological damages, plus 10 percent legal interest from the date the claim was filed until payment.

The civil court based its decision on the findings from the criminal proceedings, noting that issues conclusively determined by the criminal court could not be re-examined in civil court. Consequently, the court ordered the defendant to repay the Dh42,500.

This case underscores the importance of verifying payment instructions directly with landlords or property management companies before transferring funds to avoid falling victim to similar scams.