Online date ends up in extortion, court hears

Salesman thought he was chatting to a woman on social media but when he turned up to take her to dinner, he was handcuffed by an Indian student.

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DUBAI // A man who thought he had got himself a date with a Syrian woman ended up being fleeced for Dh25,000, a court has heard.

Indian sales executive N K, 32, said he met a 25-year-old woman called Kinda on a social networking website last September.

After a few days chatting he agreed to meet her for dinner on September 23.

“We agreed to meet in a park in Bur Dubai,” N K said. “I waited for her but she didn’t show up.”

Instead, he said, Indian student D D, 22, turned up claiming to be Kinda’s brother. “He pulled out handcuffs from his pocket and told me that he will arrest me and take me to the police station if I don’t pay him Dh25,000. He claimed that his brother was a police detective,” said the salesman.

“I told him that I don’t have that kind of money – my salary is Dh4,000. The defendant asked me how much can I pay and I responded that I can pay him Dh5,000. I told him that I need to go to where I work to get the money.”

Records show that the defendant got into NK’s car and went to the workplace.

“I gave him the money and the defendant left, then I immediately went to Al Raffa police station and reported the incident,” said N K.

Fellow Indian S K, 29, said: “My friend N K told me about the scam and requested that I talk to the defendant online and lure him to meet me so that the police could catch him in the act.

“I opened an account on that social website and engaged the defendant in talking and we agreed to meet in Sharjah.”

Emirati policeman A A said: “The defendant showed up to meet S K in Sharjah and pulled the same prank, requesting Dh25,000. S K told him that he would go and get the money and meet the defendant in Al Mankhool.”

Police arrested the scammer when he showed up to collect the money from S K.

At Dubai Criminal Court on Thursday, D D denied charges of extortion and issuing threats.

The next hearing is on May 28.

newsdesk@thenational.ae