Impersonator embezzled Dh2.4M from bank account, court hears

dubai — A man and his accomplices allegedly embezzled Dh2.4 million from the bank account of an Indian businessman while he was outside the UAE.

The Court of First Instance heard the 36-year-old Indian businessman, obtained a SIM card replacement on his behalf and activated a bank card in his name to withdraw huge amounts of money from his bank accounts.

The court was told of how the defendant and other runaways took advantage that the victim was away from the UAE to forge a power of attorney and a resident ID card in his name which they used later to apply for a SIM card replacement. They applied for and received a bank card and a cheque book in his name.

They made purchases and withdrawal transactions with the bank card and 11 forged cheques, worth Dh2.4 million.

The case dates back to January 2017, and a complaint was filed at Al Muraqqabat police station.

The public prosecution urged the court to inflict the strictest penalty possible as per the law on the defendant when they referred him on

I learned someone had applied for a SIM card replacement in my name on the same line registered with the bank and misused it.” The victim

The victim, a 64-year-old business partner, said he left the UAE on January 20, 2017, to India, his mobile phone line got off service and he stopped receiving SMS alerts from his bank. “I had my own doubts as I am a businessman and I received lots of such alerts about business transactions. When I contacted my bank on January 29, I was told Dh2.4 million had been withdrawn in many transactions. The purchases and cash withdrawal transactions were done with a card that was issued after my departure from the country. Cheques were encashed in my name and the cheque book had also been issued while I was out of town.”

The bank customer returned the next day to the UAE. “I learned someone had applied for a SIM card replacement in my name on the same line registered with the bank and misused it,” the victim said.

An Indian legal investigator at the bank said: “We conducted an internal probe and found the bank card was issued on January 23, 2017, after someone contacted the bank from the victim’s personal number saved in our records and impersonated him. He claimed he lost his bank card and applied for a new one. His request was approved after he answered all the security questions.”

A Sudanese sales supervisor at the courier shipment company said their employee completed all the necessary procedure (taking a copy from the customer’s original ID and his signature) when delivering the bank card and cheque book to the alleged fraudster.

The police got a copy of The CCTV footage showing the latter collecting the package sent by the bank.