Callers allegedly posed as government representatives, convincing the victim that the unexpected lottery prize was legitimate.
Two men who allegedly impersonated representatives of a government entity and convinced a victim that he had won a Dh200,000 cash prize have been sentenced to prison.
Instead of receiving the promised winnings, the victim later discovered that Dh84,000 had been withdrawn from his bank account.
The Sharjah Misdemeanours Court sentenced both defendants in absentia to six months in prison and ordered their deportation from the UAE.
How the scam unfolded
According to court records, the fraud began when the victim received a phone call informing him that he had supposedly won a Dh200,000 prize.
The callers allegedly posed as representatives of a government entity, making the unexpected cash prize appear credible to the victim.
They told him that he needed to complete several procedures before the supposed Dh200,000 prize could be released.
As part of what they described as a verification process, the men asked the victim to provide personal identification details and banking information. They also convinced him to share a one-time password (OTP) linked to his bank account.
Believing that these were legitimate steps required to claim his winnings, the victim provided the requested information.
However, instead of receiving Dh200,000, he later discovered that money had been withdrawn from his account. According to court records, a total of Dh84,000 was taken.
The court case
The victim reported the incident to the authorities, and the case was subsequently brought before the Sharjah Misdemeanours Court, which examined the circumstances surrounding the calls and the transfer of funds.
Prosecutors accused the defendants of using fraudulent methods to obtain the victim’s confidential banking information and access his money.
The court convicted both men and sentenced each of them, in absentia, to six months in prison. It also ordered their deportation from the UAE.
The case reflects a tactic frequently used in financial scams, in which fraudsters create excitement or urgency around a supposed prize before asking victims to disclose sensitive personal or banking information.
In this case, the callers allegedly made the scheme appear more convincing by claiming to represent an official entity. Their request for an OTP was particularly crucial, as these codes are designed to provide an additional layer of security when authorising banking transactions.
After the victim shared the requested information, what he believed was a Dh200,000 windfall instead resulted in a Dh84,000 loss.
