DUBAI // A Sudanese man who tried to trick his victim out of US$75,000 (Dh275,486) by claiming he had magical powers that could bring money down from the stars was convicted of attempted fraud by Dubai Criminal Court.
M S, 44, and accomplices M A, 35 and A A, 41, also Sudanese, were found guilty of attempted fraud and possessing $465,300 in counterfeit notes. They were each fined Dh10,000 and jailed for three years on Sunday.
H A, 42, an Omani, said that three months before Ramadan, he began receiving calls from one of the conmen telling him that he could make him rich.
“He told me that he had powers to bring money through the stars and that he was a famous religious man who had a great knowledge of astronomy,” said H A.
“He asked me for cash to buy holy water and other things to use, in order to increase my wealth. I ignored him but he kept calling and then he asked to meet me.”
The court heard H A agreed to meet one of the men in Al Ain, who then asked for Dh7,000 to buy the necessary materials. H A refused and left. Twenty days later, the defendant called him again and asked for another meeting.
“I went along and then he showed me something that looked like saffron and said that he bought it for Dh3,500 so he could use it to increase my wealth,” said H A.
“He asked if I wanted to buy it but I again refused. He called me again at the beginning of Ramadan, so I called Dubai Police, who asked me to play along so that the man could be arrested.”
In August the three defendants were arrested in Al Baraha when they went to meet H A.
“One of them was seen heading to his car and picking up a box which contained the fake dollars,” said Emirati police officer A M A, 27.
“We arrested them, although they resisted and tried to run away.”
At Dubai Criminal Court in October all three men denied the charges.
“I’ve never seen this cash before,” claimed M S.
The conmen will be deported after their sentences.
salamir@thenational.ae
The specs: 2018 Kia Picanto
Price: From Dh39,500
Engine: 1.2L inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Four-speed auto
Power: 86hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 122Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.0L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
ICC Awards for 2021+
MEN
Cricketer of the Year+– Shaheen Afridi+(Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year+– Mohammad Rizwan+(Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year+– Babar Azam+(Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year+– Joe Root+(England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year+– Smriti Mandhana+(India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year+– Lizelle Lee+(South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year+– Tammy Beaumont+(England)
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Revibe
Started: 2022
Founders: Hamza Iraqui and Abdessamad Ben Zakour
Based: UAE
Industry: Refurbished electronics
Funds raised so far: $10m
Investors: Flat6Labs, Resonance and various others
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 299hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 420Nm at 2,750rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 12.4L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh157,395 (XLS); Dh199,395 (Limited)
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Alaan
Started: 2021
Based: Dubai
Founders: Parthi Duraisamy and Karun Kurien
Sector: FinTech
Investment stage: $7 million raised in total — $2.5 million in a seed round and $4.5 million in a pre-series A round
