Abu Dhabi court orders two men to repay AED 66,773 taken in bank-call scam
What happened
The Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Claims Court has ordered two young men to return AED 66,773 to a woman who lost her savings in a scam, according to Emarat Al Youm. The court also ordered them to pay her AED 8,000 in compensation, plus court fees and costs.
The woman told the court that an unknown person contacted her and said he worked for her bank. He said he needed to update her details. She gave him her bank account number and the secret verification code sent to her.
After that, AED 59,630 was transferred to the account of the second man. The first man withdrew AED 49,700 in cash from the stolen money. The rest went to an unknown party.
The woman asked the court to order both men to repay the full amount and to pay her AED 20,000 for her losses and distress. Neither man came to the hearings, and neither showed that he had returned any money.
What the law says
According to Emarat Al Youm, a criminal court had already convicted both men in absentia (without them being present). It sentenced them to two months in prison, suspended (they do not serve it unless certain conditions apply), and ordered their deportation. They were convicted of taking AED 66,773 by fraud and by pretending to be someone they were not.
The civil court said the same act was the basis for both the criminal case and the civil case. Because the criminal ruling found the men took the money without right, the woman was entitled to get it back.
The court ordered the men to pay jointly. This means the woman can ask either of them to pay the full amount.
On compensation, the court found two kinds of harm:
- Material harm: she could not use her money, she lost possible earnings, and she paid costs to take the men to court.
- Moral harm: the emotional pain the scam caused her.
The court awarded AED 8,000 for both, less than the AED 20,000 she asked for.
What this means for you
This case shows that a criminal conviction is not the only step open to scam victims. After the criminal case, a victim can file a civil case to ask for the stolen money back and for compensation. The criminal ruling can help prove the claim in the civil court.
The case also shows how these scams work. The caller did not need to hack anything. He only needed the account number and the one-time code. Real banks do not ask for these codes by phone to "update" your details.
The ruling also shows that people who receive or withdraw stolen money can be held responsible, even if someone else made the call.
What to do:
- If a caller says they are from your bank and asks for codes or account details, end the call and contact the bank using the number on its official website.
- Never share your bank details, PINs or verification codes with unknown callers.
- If you have already lost money, keep every message, call record and bank statement, and report it to the police.
- Keep all documents related to the case in one place, including any criminal ruling, as you may need them for a civil claim.
- Do not ignore calls, messages or notices from the police, prosecution or court.
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