Dubai's Oldest Laundry Shop Faces Closure After Owner 'Loses Dh34,000 In Online Scam'

A nearly 50-year-old laundry shop in Dubai's Jumeirah 1 neighborhood is facing closure, according to its owner, Ravi Verma, who says he was the target of an elaborate online scam .

Bait Al Abyad Cloth Pressing, believed to be Dubai's oldest functioning laundromat, was started in 1978 by Verma's father-in-law. For years, it ran on old-school values, loyal customers and a steady income.

But all that is now at risk.

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“I don't know what to do,” said Verma, 35, as he showed bounced rent cheques for both his shop and home.“The scam has wrecked my life. The real estate company has already filed a case against me.”

Verma said his troubles began in early June when he received a WhatsApp message from a woman who identified herself as 'Ria'. Her profile photo showed a young, smiling woman. She offered him a part-time online job, claiming he could earn extra money by completing simple tasks.

“She said she'd introduce me to her senior, Salama, on Telegram. I had deleted my Telegram app long ago fearing scams, but this seemed like an easy side hustle so I reinstalled it."

Verma said he was added to a Telegram group with around 45 members.“Every day we received small tasks, like adding items to an Amazon cart and sharing screenshots. We didn't have to buy anything. Each task earned me Dh5, which is almost what I charge for washing and ironing a shirt and pant.”

Tempted by the effortless money, Verma said he continued. Soon, the tasks escalated. He said he was asked to transfer Dh120 to an account to earn Dh156 the same day. Then came higher-stakes tasks: Dh300 to make Dh390, Dh1,480 to earn more, he claimed.

“I was hooked,” he admitted.“This was so much easier than running a laundry.”

But then came the turning point.

“One day, they said I made a mistake in a task and had to 'rectify' it by completing additional ones that required a payment of Dh5,890,” he said.“By now, I was desperate to recover my money. That's how they trap you.”

Verma said he was assigned a 'mentor' who began demanding payments in the thousands - Dh8,640, then Dh3,150, then another Dh10,800.“Each time I paid, they said I was closer to getting my money back. I believed them.”

By this time, Verma said he had lost Dh34,150. He had transferred money to multiple bank accounts in the UAE, often in part payments. All his interactions had been through text. He never spoke to or met anyone. The final blow came when he was sent a screenshot claiming his 'credit score' had dropped below 100 due to“abnormal operations", and that he needed to pay Dh900 for each of the 20 points deducted (Dh18,000) to unlock his earnings.

“When I tried to reason with them over messages, they removed me from the Telegram group. That's when it hit me. I had been scammed,” he said.

Verma said the ordeal has not just emptied his bank account but brought the family business and his life to a breaking point. He has since filed a police complaint in Dubai and shared details of the transactions, Telegram group, and bank accounts involved.

“I regret it every day. My father-in-law trusted me with this shop. I was supposed to keep it running. Instead, I've pushed it dangerously close to collapse,” he said.“I am thinking of sending my family back to India. I can't afford to keep them here anymore."

Verma's story is just one among hundreds.

Last year, Khaleej Times reported how a Dubai hotelier lost Dh66,000 to a similar task-based scam that cybersecurity firm CloudSEK estimates has siphoned off over Dh400 million from victims globally.

Task scams lure victims with promises of part-time online work that involves simple activities: liking posts, adding products to carts, or watching videos. The catch: you must upgrade your account or pay deposits to keep earning.

Initial contact : Victims receive unsolicited messages on WhatsApp, Telegram, or similar platforms often posing as recruiters.

Low-risk trade : Initial tasks are easy and may even pay small sums to build trust.

Deposit trap : Victims are later asked to invest money to unlock higher-paying tasks or withdraw earnings.

Manipulation : Scammers assign 'mentors', fabricate group chats, and share fake success stories to keep victims engaged.

In most cases, the earnings shown in apps or dashboards are fake. Victims are asked to pay repeatedly to fix errors, restore their“credit score", or access the next level, keeping them trapped in a loop of loss.

Ignore unsolicited job offers via messaging apps.

Never pay money to earn money.

Verify employer identities through official websites or LinkedIn.

Avoid tasks involving illegal activities like fake reviews.

Don't download unfamiliar apps or click suspicious links.

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