Dubai: Investor Scammed Out Of Dh210,000 With Fake Hotel Floor Lease 2 Jailed

A Criminal Misdemeanour Court in Dubai has sentenced an Asian man to one year in prison, while his Arab accomplice was convicted in absentia to the same term, for defrauding an Arab investor of Dh210,000 through a forged hotel lease contract.

The court also ordered the duo to jointly pay a fine of Dh210,000, and ruled for their deportation after serving their sentences. According to case records, the investor filed a complaint stating that he was deceived by the defendants, who posed as a hotel manager and a real estate broker.

The pair convinced him to rent an entire floor in a Dubai hotel for Dh380,000. The victim paid Dh210,000 upfront along with a deferred cheque for the remaining amount. Investigations revealed that the first defendant asked the investor to issue the cheque without naming a beneficiary, claiming he would later add the details on the computer after hotel approval. He also promised that the floor would be ready within 10 to 20 days after renovations.

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However, three days later, the investor's friend urged him to verify the lease with the hotel. When he presented the contract to the hotel's management, they confirmed it was forged. A staff member added that the defendant had exploited family ties with one of the hotel's investors to gain the victim's trust.

Police were alerted, and the Asian suspect was arrested. He confessed to orchestrating the fraud with the help of the Arab accomplice, and claimed that the swindled money had been handed to a third person who planned the scam.

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