Pair jailed for forging documents to steal Dh2.7m from local bank

The two opened a bank account and applied for a loan using fake documents then withdrew the loan amount

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A man and woman stole Dh2.7million from a local bank after applying for a loan through a fake account.

The Emirati woman and her Palestinian friend, aged 33 and 37 respectively, forged a passport copy and salary certificate for Dh136,000 attributed to the Ministry of Interior, helped by an unidentified woman.

They used the forged documents to open a back account with National Bank of Abu Dhabi in Al Quoz, Dubai.

During the process of opening the account, the woman used the name appearing on the forged passport as her own and signed it on the bank’s applications. When the bank account became active, she applied for a loan which was approved.

The Lebanese bank branch manager, 39, told prosecutors that the woman visited her in her office in 2014 to open the account but she was wearing niqab.

“I asked her to show her face for purposes of identification, she did and she was the same person in the picture on the passport copy provided, and she presented herself with the name on the passport,” said the manager.

After the woman’s loan was approved she withdrew Dh500,000 then visited the manager to thank her for her help.

“The next day she came again and withdrew the remaining amount,” said the manager.

Records did not disclose how the scam was discovered but during prosecution questioning, the Emirati woman allegedly admitted to her part in the forgery and theft and said she was approached by a Bahraini woman to take part in the scam in return for a share of the profit.
Prosecutors said the woman was unemployed and bought two cars worth Dh400,000 after the incident using the stolen money.
The pair denied all charges in court in July but on Wednesday, Dubai Criminal Court convicted them of using forged documents and unlawfully obtaining Dh2.7m.
They were each sentenced to one year in jail.
The Palestinian defendant will be deported upon serving his prison term.