The accused admitted that they received the money in installments, transferred it to other accounts, and retained a portion for themselves.
A Dubai court has sentenced three men to two months in jail and imposed a total fine of Dh518,500 after they were found guilty of handling money linked to cyber fraud.
The Dubai Misdemeanours Court also ordered their deportation upon completion of their sentences.
According to court records, the fines correspond to the amounts each defendant personally received from the illegal proceeds: Dh346,000 for the first defendant, Dh72,500 for the second, and Dh100,000 for the third.
The case dates to January 2026, when a resident was tricked into an online scam after clicking a fraudulent link he believed was linked to a consumer protection service.
He was redirected to a WhatsApp chat with an individual posing as an official, who asked for his bank card details and verification code, claiming they were needed to process a complaint and complete payment procedures.
Court documents state that the victim first made a small transaction but soon noticed large sums being withdrawn from his accounts within a short time, totalling around Dh660,000. He subsequently reported the matter to the authorities.
Investigations found that part of the stolen funds was transferred into local bank accounts associated with the three defendants, while the remaining amounts were routed through multiple accounts to conceal the trail.
The accused were reportedly recruited via fake job advertisements on social media, where an unidentified individual promised them commissions in exchange for allowing their bank accounts to be used for receiving and transferring money.
The defendants admitted receiving the funds in instalments, forwarding them to other accounts, and keeping a portion for themselves.
The court ruled that evidence—including the victim’s statement, banking records, and the defendants’ confessions—proved their involvement in handling criminal proceeds. It noted that the unexplained large transfers and rapid movement of funds indicated criminal intent.
Authorities have reiterated warnings against interacting with unknown links or sharing banking information with unverified sources, stressing that legitimate government bodies do not request sensitive financial details via messaging apps.
The case underscores a rising trend of fraud schemes using fake service links and social media recruitment to channel illicit funds through unsuspecting account holders.
