UAE: Man Buys Fake Concert Tickets Online Scammer Ordered To Pay Dh5,900

A court in the Capital, Abu Dhabi, has recently ruled in favour of a resident who was deceived by a fake advertisement to sell concert tickets online and lost Dh900 as a result.

In its ruling, which was issued on November 27, the Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Claims Court ordered a man to repay the claimant the Dh900 he paid and to compensate him an additional Dh5,000. The decision followed a criminal ruling that convicted the scammer.

The case began when the claimant contacted the defendant via Instagram after seeing an advertisement for tickets to a popular concert in Abu Dhabi. Trusting the seller, he contacted him via Whatsapp and transferred Dh900 to purchase two tickets.

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When he later attempted to use the tickets at the venue, they were rejected as counterfeit. The incident was reported to the police, resulting in the defendant's prosecution for fraud and obtaining money unlawfully.

A criminal court convicted the defendant, and the judgment became final after the man failed to file an appeal within the legal timeframe. This means that the civil court was obligated to accept that fraud had actually occured and that the defendant was responsible.

While the claimant sought Dh9,100 in damages beside the money he paid to buy the tickets, the court awarded him a smaller amount, after assessing the extent of the material and emotional harm that inflicted him.

The ruling highlights the growing legal risks associated with social media scams and serves as a reminder for residents to exercise caution when purchasing event tickets through unofficial online platforms.

In recent years, scammers have grown increasingly innovative, creating scenarios that either relate to UAE residents specifically, such as claims of discounted fines in the country, or preying on the emotions of people. An earlier Khaleej Times report has explored how fraudsters trap UAE residents by too-good-to-be-true offers and discounts.

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